RATIO Design connects people and place, shaping environments of purpose, beauty, and meaning. We design for impact with teams that are interdisciplinary, engaging, curious and deeply immersed in the subtleties that make each project unique.
RATIO navigates the complexities of residential and mixed-use development. We have local knowledge of code, tax credits, zoning, and preservation. We understand that market forces can shift quickly, requiring flexibility and resiliency, to help our clients achieve their goals. Our practice has extensive experience with an array of residential development types from international high-rise buildings to affordable housing.
We design to cultivate connections.
Knowing and caring about a place - its people, history, culture, and ecology - are fundamental to design. Our Studios skillfully see, listen, ask questions, and seek opportunities. As thoughtful interpreters, we design places that are in harmony with their regions and active in their vitality.
We design informed by interdisciplinary wisdom.
Shaping deeply relevant design solutions requires both specialized knowledge and expansive thought. We cultivate collaboration across all our disciplines and subject matter experts, avoiding blind spots and increasing possibilities.
We design in the open.
Design is a collective experience. We practice a transparent process with our clients and communities where all perspectives are welcome, and everyone moves toward impactful, creative solutions together.
We Design for Impact.
STUDIO LOCATIONS
INDIANAPOLIS
RALEIGH
CHAMPAIGN
MILWAUKEE
DISCIPLINES
ARCHITECTURE
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
INTERIOR DESIGN
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
URBAN DESIGN
GRAPHIC DESIGN
203
Design professionals and support staff across six studios
188
Affordable Housing Contracts
1.1B Affordable Housing Construction Value
87
LEED Certified or Registered Facilities
28%
Percent of Revenue Paid to XBE Consultants
RATIO has extensive experience in affordable housing, having completed over 175 projects with affordable housing components nationwide. With a portfolio spanning 35 years, we have a diverse range of experience in navigating the complexities of affordability, including LIHTC applications, HUD financing, sustainability, mixed-use developments, parking, and transit-oriented developments.
In Denver, where housing costs are rising, RATIO recognizes the importance of providing affordable housing options for people of marginal income. Our commitment to the “Housing First” approach means that we prioritize providing people with a place to live, allowing them to focus on other aspects of their lives.
At RATIO, we understand that the best housing, regardless of affordability, creates a sense of community for residents and neighbors. To achieve this, we prioritize designing facilities that are points of pride and visible proof that affordable housing can create value.
Design, entitlement, and construction of affordable housing require special considerations that experience has taught us. At RATIO, we understand that fixed budgets should not result in compromised spaces for the people who need supportive housing the most. Our humane, high-touch design solutions prioritize longlasting value and support your commitment to providing economic, training, and educational opportunities to low-income individuals in the communities you serve.
1. BLAKE STREET FLATS DENVER, CO
2. ARTSPACE LOVELAND FEED & GRAIN LOVELAND, CO
3. KESTREL MULTI-FAMILY LOUISVILLE, CO
4. MILLIKAN ON MASS INDIANAPOLIS, IN
5. PLATTE VALLEY APARTMENTS DENVER, CO
6. REMINGTON ATTAINABLE HOUSING FORT COLLINS, CO
7. 2300 WELTON STREET APARTMENTS DENVER, CO
We believe that great design pays great dividends, especially in the business of affordable housing. Our sustainable and worthwhile structures can serve as building blocks for your next project, and we understand the importance of reputation in the competitive market.
At RATIO, we strive to create welcoming places that connect people to their community through excellent housing design. By designing living spaces that enliven their context, we aim to promote community pride and social responsibility that empowers residents to see themselves as members of a community, not just tenants. Our ultimate goal is to create neighborhoods where residents feel rooted, secure, and stable.
Our commitment to the community extends beyond just residences. We believe that providing access to outdoor spaces, community rooms, and on-site supportive services are simple gestures that can build trust with residents and create a sense of belonging. At RATIO, we see this as our primary responsibility in all housing developments.
Additionally, we understand the importance of creating functionally efficient and comfortable spaces that support the process of empowerment for both staff and residents. By reducing the stress of an inherently difficult situation, we can aid both those in need of assistance and those providing it.
The built environment has the potential to go beyond meeting basic physiological needs. Trauma-informed design, based on the trauma-informed care movement, recognizes that where we live, work, play, and interact greatly affects a person’s ability to heal from trauma. As professionals tasked with designing these spaces, it is critical that the buildings we help construct are part of the constellation of supportive services that address Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. This means not only tackling physical and safety concerns but also fostering belonging, respect, and self-actualization in the people who call these places home.
There are numerous avenues in design to honor a person’s dignity, encourage personal control, and help set the stage for recovery from trauma. At RATIO, we look forward to partnering with you to uncover and tailor specific opportunities that resonate with your mission, budget, and most importantly, the people you are serving. Your building should be a partner in the healing process.
We understand the critical role that design plays in promoting healing and recovery from trauma. By fostering a sense of belonging, respect, and selfactualization, we can support residents in achieving their full potential. Let us work together to create spaces that honor the dignity of those we serve and help set the stage for a brighter future.
RATIO has extensive experience in developing and designing affordable housing projects for public agencies and housing authorities that require funding from multiple sources. With over 30 successful LIHTC projects, we have a thorough understanding of the unique milieu of federally subsidized projects and the additional layer of requirements they add beyond local building codes. Our team is skilled in navigating these obligations and understands that different requirements can apply depending on the level and type of subsidies, and that third-party reviews can also affect timelines. We have extensive knowledge of requirements such as UFAS, EDA, EGC, Fair Housing, ADA & Universal Design, and various Green Certification programs as required
by HUD, allowing us to develop cost-effective solutions that meet these constraints. Proper integration of these requirements can add significant value to the project.
RATIO has been ensuring that ADA standards are met on their projects for over three decades. To stay up-todate on the latest requirements, we collaborate with expert consultants for design, quality control, and field review. Our recent work for The Atlantis Communities in Denver is a testament to our proficiency in meeting and exceeding current accessibility standards. This expertise has made us national experts in the field, and we have been invited to speak at this year’s AIA National Convention.
Our team is vigilant in guarding against common ADA violations, such as having inaccessible building entrances, lack of accessible public and common use areas, unusable doors, inadequate accessible routes, poor control and switch placement, lack of
2.
3. SAMPSON APARTMENTS CHICAGO, IL
4. 757 GRANT ST. APARTMENTS DENVER, CO
5. ATLANTIS APARTMENTS DENVER, CO
6. LAMAR STATION DENVER, CO
grab bar reinforcement, and unusable kitchens and bathrooms. We are also well-versed in Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, which bars federal funds from discriminating against people with disabilities. This law mandates that new construction provide a minimum of 5% accessible units for people with mobility impairments and 2% of units be accessible to people with vision or hearing impairments. We strive to make reasonable accommodations so that people with disabilities can use and enjoy housing. We are well-versed in the requirements of HUD funding, which regulates accessibility through UFAS and requires additional financial tracking and inspections during construction.
RATIO has a successful track record of meeting UFAS standards on Federally funded projects. To stay up-todate with the latest standards and requirements, we work with expert consultants who assist us in design, quality control, and field review.
DEVELOPMENT
Cranes Landing Denver, CO2026187
Edith Spurlock Sampson Chicago, IL2025394
Apex Meridian SouthEnglewood, CO202222
Lamar Station Crossing IILakewood, CO202165
Briarwood of LafayetteLafayette, IN2020100
Apex Meridian EastEnglewood, CO2020156
Cambridge Square Covington, KY2020200
Atlantis Apartments Denver, CO201960
Kestrel Multi-Family Louisville, CO2019178
Platte Valley Multi-Family Denver, CO201970
St. Francis Apartments Denver, CO201850
Peoria Crossing Aurora, CO201872
Mariposa VII Denver, CO 201754
Welton Park Apartments Denver, CO2016223
The Hawks Building Goshen, IN201535
Renaissance Stout St. Lofts Denver, CO201478
Lamar Station Crossing ILakewood, CO2014110
Lee Hill Supportive HousingBoulder, CO201431
Randall Lofts Fort Wayne, IN201444
LOCATION
DENVER, CO
CLIENT
MERCY HOUSING & DENVER INDIAN HEALTH AND FAMILY SERVICES
SIZE
235,000 SF
COST
$60M
COMPLETE
2026 (ANTICIPATED)
SUSTAINABILITY
EGC CERTIFICATION
In Denver’s transit-supported La Alma-Lincoln Park neighborhood, a groundbreaking intergenerational, permanent supportive, and affordable housing community is taking shape, focused on serving the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. This project, in collaboration with Mercy Housing and Denver Indian Health and Family Services, will feature an on-site health clinic and a design that emphasizes enhancing accessibility and connectivity.
Community engagement has shaped the project, emphasizing trauma-informed design that fosters a sense of belonging and reconnects residents with their heritage and nature. Reflecting the needs of over 200 AI/AN tribes in the region, the design incorporates local materials and dark, earth-inspired tones, creating a strong connection to the land. This unique development will serve as a vibrant, healing space for Denver’s Native communities.
LOCATION
LAKEWOOD, CO
CLIENT METRO WEST
HOUSING AUTHORITY
SIZE
PHASE I: 109,594 SF
PHASE II: 61,193 SF
COST
PHASE I: $14.2M
PHASE II: $12.8M
COMPLETE
PHASE I: 2014
PHASE II: 2021
The introduction of light rail transit is creating new, 21st Century urban district “centers” which are redefining communities across the Metro Denver area. Lamar Station Crossing lies at the epicenter of one of the new RTD transit centers. It redefines reasons to live, work or shop at these easily–accessed locations. This Lakewood community brings a second asset to the table: immediate access to the Lakewood Gulch, its trails, bike paths and natural open space.
RATIO ’s design approach for the property was to create a destination that thinks big and sweats the details: A community of 175 dwellings, community spaces, outdoor classroom and gardens, it creates a place that embraces its natural assets and its convenience to transit; a place that embraces sustainable solutions; a place that is at once affordable, multi-generational, and connects people in an innovative, healthy living environment. The project positions MetroWest and Lakewood as leaders through a careful balance of design, economics and placemaking by leveraging existing assets, Transit Oriented Design and Sustainability to create a place for the next century of living in the Front Range.
LOCATION DENVER, CO
SIZE 41,936 SF
Mariposa VII is the final phase of a two-decade-long urban revitalization project located one mile south of Denver’s Central Business District. The seven-story mid-rise building features frontages on two streets and a new mid-block pedestrian way, creating a dynamic urban dialogue with neighboring buildings and sites. It includes 45 affordable apartments and four townhomes, promoting healthy living with a game room and laundry on the ground level, a large front porch and retail area.
The building features a community space and outdoor deck on the seventh floor, with mountain views, and used advanced framing technology to reduce construction time and waste while increasing e ciencies. The project exceeded current energy standards, continuing the sustainable legacy of DHA in the Mariposa community.
LOCATION
LOUISVILLE, CO
CLIENT BOULDER COUNTY
HOUSING AUTHORITY
SIZE
346,609 SF (70 SENIOR / 108 AFFORDABLE)
COST $53M
COMPLETE 2017
Located in northern Louisville, Colorado, the site is a vestige of the city’s rural past, now surrounded by development. The plan includes two communities: 70 units of active senior housing and 108 affordable units.
A ring road connects the site’s four quadrants, supporting vehicular, pedestrian, utility, parking, and fire access as a slow-speed shared street. Within the blocks, RATIO designed small, fine-grained multifamily buildings that are offset, rotated, mirrored, and aligned to create a varied neighborhood.
Unit types include fully accessible ground-floor options that support aging in place beyond the senior building. Open spaces are framed by a mix of family-oriented two- and three-bedroom units and senior-friendly one-bedroom units.
Sustainable design draws on BCHA’s partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, highlighting geothermal heating and cooling. Combined with tight envelopes, thick insulation, all-LED lighting, and solar-ready roofs, the development is capable of going fossil fuel–free with a properly sized photovoltaic system
LOCATION
DENVER, CO
CLIENT ATLANTIS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
SIZE
PHASE I: 87,583 SF
PHASE II: 67,178 SF
COST
PHASE I: $15.2M
PHASE II: $14.6M
COMPLETE
PHASE 1: 2020
PHASE 2: 2022
SUSTAINABILITY
EGC CERTIFIED
The Atlantis Community has been a vocal activist and pivotal champion in the fight for rights for people with disabilities since its founding in the 1970s. Under the leadership of their board chair, Lloyd Lewis, they aimed even higher, seeking to build a multifamily project that would provide a respectful living environment for those with and without disabilities, and create a source of revenue that expands the organization’s reach. Our RATIO team was inspired to create a place that would be as special as the people who’d call it home.
The result is a 60-unit mixed-use apartment building that provides space for community gatherings, o ce space for Atlantis Community Inc., and a museum. A physical manifestation of the client’s optimistic vision and mission, the building is a modern landmark in downtown Denver’s historic Baker neighborhood with a welcoming, joyful aesthetic inside and out. The ground-level spaces feature storefront and glass garage doors that embody openness and transparency and invite the community in, while solid brick foundations express support for the residences above while relating to the historic context of the Baker neighborhood residential construction.
LOCATION
CHICAGO, IL
CLIENT
CHICAGO HOUSING
AUTHORITY
SIZE
360,015 SF
COST
$90 M
COMPLETE 2025
In the heart of Chicago’s vibrant Lincoln Park neighborhood are the age-restricted Edith Spurlock Sampson Residences, which consist of 394 studio and one-bedroom homes. In 2016, the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) initiated a development analysis to improve the existing 60s-era residences and promote market rate development on the vacant and underutilized parcels of the site.
CHA selected RATIO and PIRHL to execute a new vision for the site, leveraging their experience in socially supportive and mixedincome housing programs. This new vision includes quality-of-life amenities and community spaces, such as open greenspace and a Community Center that encourages social interaction among senior residents and the larger Lincoln Park community. Developing this comprehensive vision required engaging and involving all community stakeholders, including residents, CHA o cials, and the greater Chicago community.
LOCATION
ENGLEWOOD, CO
CLIENT
SHEA PROPERTIES
SIZE
30.15 ACRES
15.52 DU/ACRE
468 UNITS
COST
PHASE 1: $16.7M
PHASE 2: $24.8M
PHASE 3: $36.7M
COMPLETE
PHASE 1: 2014
PHASE 2: 2020
PHASE 3: 2023
Apex Meridian is an innovative series of projects that addresses the specific affordability needs of the population and location by providing 468 dwelling units in Douglas County, Colorado. The solution is based on a three-story walk-up configuration that maximizes access to daylight and views, as well as providing easy access to on-site amenities and adjacent transportation options. The project’s location is convenient to many employment opportunities and excellent transportation, giving residents choices in how they get around. The I-25 light rail line is within walking distance, providing access to employment, education, and entertainment opportunities throughout the entire metro area.
The Apex Meridian phases were each designed to provide residents with great dwelling units and a collective sense of community. Small neighborhood groupings of four dwelling units are grouped around front door entries, enhancing familiarity in this family setting. On-site amenities for each phase include a community clubhouse, business & fitness centers, as well as meeting and recreation spaces.
LOCATION
DENVER, CO
CLIENT
SAINT FRANCIS CENTER
SIZE
38,017 SF
COST
$8.6 M COMPLETE
Saint Francis Apartments at Cathedral Square is a 50-unit multifamily project in Denver, Colorado, using a Housing First model to address homelessness and provide permanent supportive services. Aligned with its mission, the development serves the most vulnerable while fostering a sense of peace and place, with close access to services, amenities, and employment.
The ground floor is animated by materials and rhythms that make the building a partner to the pedestrian life, including a community space that is clad with a glass garage door to invite events and collaboration of neighbors. A confessional-inspired scrim clads the northern façade. A bold geometry of the top floor and roof speak to the vision of opportunity contained within.
The architecture is focused on the new building playing a supportive role to the cathedral, the pedestrian environment, and the skyline. This structure consists of a six-story building with podium parking and a lobby, reception, and management functions on the ground floor. Levels 2 -5 contain the bulk of the residential units. All of the community and counseling spaces are located on the 6th floor to best enjoy the inspirational views of the State Capital and the Rocky Mountains.
RATIO’s practice is rooted in the adaptive reuse of historic buildings, transforming legacy structures into high-quality affordable housing while preserving the stories and character that shape our communities. Our work balances respect for historic fabric with contemporary needs, creating housing that is efficient, durable, and responsive to its context while embracing evolving technologies and sustainable strategies.
For over 40 years, we have specialized in projects guided by the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. We lead an integrated, collaborative process that minimizes impact on historic materials while supporting modern performance and livability. Our interdisciplinary approach leverages the constraints of existing buildings to drive innovative, high-performance solutions, delivering affordable housing that is both culturally meaningful and forward-looking.
This project rehabilitated the former Indiana Cotton Mill in Cannelton, Indiana, converting it into 70 affordable housing units. RATIO, with its consultants, provided full architectural, engineering, and historic preservation services, leveraging LIHTC, HOME funds, and state and federal historic tax credits.
The project received the 2002 Judge’s Special Award of Excellence from Associated Builders & Contractors of Indiana and a 2003 National Preservation Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. RATIO also provided historic tax credit services.
CLIENT: LINCOLN HARRIS DEVELOPMENT
SIZE: 78,000 SF
BUDGET: $5.8 M
COMPLETE: 2002
GARRETT, IN
This project included design, construction documents, and administration services for the rehabilitation of the former Sacred Heart Hospital in Garrett, Indiana, converting it into 26 affordable one- and two-bedroom apartments.
Listed on the Indiana Register of Historic Sites and Structures and the National Register of Historic Places, the project met the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation to utilize state and federal historic tax credits and HUD funding. Exterior work included masonry repairs, window restoration, and slate roof repairs, while the interior was reconfigured to create apartments, a community room, and a computer lab.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN
RATIO’s preservation expertise and Historic Tax Credit experience led Axis Architecture + Interiors to select the firm for the exterior renovation of Indianapolis’ former Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant, now featuring a mix of affordable and market-rate apartments. The design preserves the 1915 structure while meeting the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.
RATIO restored key elements through detailed door, window, and skylight packages, improving thermal and acoustical performance. The team also reconstructed the signature terra cotta cornice and coordinated a roof deck that creates an entertainment space with skyline views.
LOCATION: SACRED HEART APARTMENTS, L.P.
SIZE: 39,000 SF
BUDGET: $4.6 M
COMPLETE: 2003
CLIENT: AXIS ARCHITECTURE + INTERIORS
SIZE: 198,000 SF
BUDGET: $30 M
COMPLETE: 2020
LOCATION
LOVELAND, CO
CLIENT ARTSPACE PROJECTS, INC.
SIZE
20,000 SF
COST
$12M COMPLETE
The Loveland Feed & Grain Project tells the story of how an arts community came together to breathe new life into an icon of local history. The Feed & Grain Mill is being transformed into a combination of residential units and studio spaces for the local creative community while preserving and highlighting the essential character of the building.
In recent years, a group of local artists in Loveland advocated saving the mill, preventing its demolition, and building momentum to transform the building into an asset for the creative sector. The structure has been carefully reimagined to adapt spaces formerly devoted to processing and storing grain into light-filled spaces that highlight the patina of its original use. As an adaptive reuse project, the building’s essential character has been preserved in accordance with historic designation standards, while the careful modifications serve to transform it into a space that fosters creativity.
LOCATION
GOSHEN, IN
CLIENT
LACASA, INC
SIZE
49,000 SF
COST
$5.2 M
COMPLETE 2015
RATIO was selected to lead the adaptive reuse of the former Hawks Furniture Building as the Hawks Art & Enterprise Center, an affordable live/work facility for local artists. The complex, listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Goshen Historic District, consists of a series of late nineteenth century and early twentieth century masonry structures located adjacent to the Hydraulic Canal.
The first phase of the project included the rehabilitation of the southern portion of the complex to create 35 apartments with artist studio space within each unit. The remainder of the building was stabilized for later reuse. The project was funded in part by the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, HOME funds, and Indiana’s State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit.
AFFILIATES
RATIO STATES, LLC
RATIO STATES - NC, PLLC
RATIO STATES, LLC D/B/A RATIO STATES PLLC
RATIO / SMDP, LLC RATIODESIGN.COM