Indianapolis, IN– March 31, 2025 – MD Architects, a leading veterinary and human healthcare architecture and design firm, is proud to announce the celebration of its 25th anniversary. Over the past quarter-century, the firm has used its cross-industry design experience to elevate and bridge the standard of care gap by bringing human healthcare advancements into the animal care world.
Established in 2000, Rick Renschen, Founder and President, has grown the firm from a one-man team into a powerhouse of creativity and design expertise with close to 50 employees. With a portfolio of human healthcare, dental, commercial, and over 1,000 animal care projects successfully completed, MD has had the privilege of building countless fantastic relationships with clients and partners. The firm’s forward-thinking work has received national recognition and begun to expand overseas into Germany, Italy, Belgium, Spain, and Thailand.
Major Milestones & Highlights
Throughout its 25-year history, the team reflects on its major achievements and growth.
- Dvm360 Animal Hospital Design of the Year: Recognized by dvm360 in 2024 and 2021 for their wellness-focused design of Habitat Veterinary Hospital and the advanced VCA West Coast Specialty & Emergency Hospital.
- Joining forces with Architectural Werks Inc. (AWI): This merger was a significant moment in their history and the veterinary architecture industry, creating one of the largest firms of its kind.
- Signature Projects: Completion of landmark projects like the animal care facility for the King of Jordan and Royal Hashemite Court and Antech Diagnostics’ 68,000+ square foot headquarters.
- Consistently Remaining a People–Focused Culture: Rick Renschen reflects on the company’s deeply ingrained culture and commitment to putting employees first: “Over the years, our team has continued to refine processes at a micro-level for the greater good of the entire firm. Encouraging new opportunities and responsibilities and watching people learn and grow while stepping up to the plate has made me so proud.”
- Retirement of AWI Founding Member: Before merging with MD Architects, Jeff Clark, MD Principal and AWI Founder, led the AWI team for 42 years. April of 2025 warrants dual celebrations, as it also marks Jeff’s final days with the firm before he sets off on a well-deserved retirement.
Reflecting On the Journey
Led by Rick Renschen, Partner, Franklin Ng, and Principal, Jeff Clark, MD continues to evolve as a firm and consistently pushes the boundaries of design. Rick looks back on his early-beginning vision for the firm and what he’s most proud of achieving in these past 25 years: “When I started the company, I initially envisioned it’d grow to 10 to 12 employees that were dedicated to human healthcare design. I couldn’t have imagined we’d have coast-to-coast studio locations with a team of almost 50.”
What fuels their success and growth? According to Franklin, a major part is “our long-term team members remaining dedicated and committed to the ‘heart’ of architecture and design – inside and outside of the office. Each one of our staff has a genuine passion for design and knows they affect our community and its ability to find unique solutions to complex problems they face.”
Looking Ahead
As MD celebrates this significant milestone, the firm remains dedicated to its core values of teamwork, empathy, joy, passion, and impact. When envisioning the future, they plan to expand their global footprint and continue delivering groundbreaking projects that elevate the standard of care for the human healthcare and veterinary industries.
When asked about the future of MD, it’s no surprise to hear that although Rick anticipates growth, he doesn’t plan to stray away from their roots: “I hope to keep the firm an employee-focused business where people enjoy coming to work and engaging and collaborating with those around them.”
About MD Architects
Rick Renschen founded the Indianapolis-based firm in 2000 to design and develop human medical facilities, specifically oncology and outpatient surgery centers. In 2006, a national animal hospital client approached us to construct a local facility that would expand our design niche into animal-centric spaces. Fast-forward decades later, our cross-industry experience has enabled us to bridge the standard of care gap by integrating human healthcare advancements into veterinary spaces to create environments where elevated care happens.
In 2023, we joined forces with the renowned Seattle-based design firm Architectural Werks, Inc. (AWI). Together, we’re one of the most experienced architecture firms of its kind. MDA has studio locations in Seattle, Indianapolis, and Boston – allowing us to bring an unrivaled depth of expertise and personalized service from coast to coast and beyond.
For more information, please visit www.mdarchitects.com or contact Brooke Heckenberg, Marketing Manager at 317-558-2822 or brookeh@mdarchitects.com.
Written By MD Architects
MD Architects is a full-service, relationship-based firm dedicated to providing superior planning, design, specifications, and construction guidance to animal care, human healthcare, and commercial industries.
March 2025
