Denver architectural firms RNL and Buchanan Yonushewski Group joined forces as of November 1. BYG co-founders Brad Buchanan and John Yonushewski have been hired by RNL as principals and shareholders.

Buchanan will be leading the firm’s commercial market. Yonushewski will specialize in project delivery leadership.

BYG was founded in Denver in 1998. The firm’s portfolio includes a variety of project expertise in the multifamily, senior housing and mixed-use residential markets. Projects of note include One Lincoln Park, Watertower Lofts, Pinnacle Park Homes at City Park South, Silver State Lofts and 1099 Osage.

“We are thrilled with this opportunity and excited about the future,” said Joshua Gould, chairman and CEO at RNL. “The work produced by the Buchanan Yonushewski Group is exemplary and their dedication to the profession unquestioned. I look forward to sharing our combined expertise with our clients and our community.”

Buchanan added, “BYG and RNL are a perfect fit for each other, and the whole is even greater than the sum of its parts. We are honored to join such a significant international firm that shares our values around design and service to our clients and community.”

Buchanan has extensive experience in design-led, single-source project delivery. With almost 30 years practicing architecture, construction and development, Buchanan has experience in nearly all areas of design and construction, including commercial, retail, housing, multifamily, institutional, multi-use and adaptive re-use facilities.

He founded Freedom by Design, a nonprofit that provides pro-bono architecture and construction services to low-income, disabled populations. FBD currently boasts 50 chapters throughout the United States. Buchanan has also devoted his time to a number of regional organizations, including the Denver Zoning Code Task Force, the Downtown Denver Partnership, the BluePrint Denver Stakeholder Committee, the Denver Landmark Preservation Commission, the Denver 2027 Committee, and the Denver Planning Board, where he is currently the chairman.

In September, Buchanan was presented with the James S. Sudler Award For Contributions to AIA Denver, recognizing his dedication, leadership and commitment to the local chapter. He received a bachelor’s degree in environmental design from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, in 1982, and was elected a Fellow by the American Institute of Architects in 2007.

Yonushewski has over 32 years of experience in the design and construction field. He has accrued numerous design awards and been published in a variety of national industry publications. He has a broad range of architectural and construction experience, from custom single-family residential to large-scale adaptive-reuse projects.

He has personally designed and overseen the construction of projects totaling more than $80 million and has a strong background in urban-infill, mixed-use building types. Yonushewski has dedicated his time to furthering the profession through active service to the AIA, including as a past president of AIA Colorado, and volunteers with Freedom by Design. He received a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Clemson University in 1978, a master’s in architecture from the University of Colorado at Denver in 1982. The American Institute of Architects elected him a Fellow in 2009.