Born To Build

David Rausch Studio in Zionsville taking on big projects

Writer  /  Christy Heitger-Ewing

Photographer  /  Brian Brosmer

David Rausch began dreaming of becoming an architect when he was in seventh grade.

“My father owned a residential roofing business and was in construction so he probably planted the seeds, but I was drawn to the field back then and my focus has never shifted,” says Rausch, who now owns David Rausch Studio, a boutique architecture and interior design firm located in the Village of Zionsville.

A service-oriented firm, they do customized work to fit their individual clientele’s needs. For that reason, they stay busy doing everything from faith centers to fire stations, hotels to houses, restaurants to rec centers. About one-third of the firm’s work is custom single family residential, a third is hospitality work, such as hotels, restaurants, and clubs, and the remaining third is a variety of office buildings and lifestyle projects.

For example, the firm just concluded a renovation at the Plainfield recreation facility with the help of third party companies hire by the owner to fit in new installations, like plumbing, hvac and their commercial roofing. They’re currently involved in early schematic design work at a Jewish community center, and they’re also erecting a hotel in downtown Ft. Wayne. In addition, Rausch is the architect of record for the downtown Indianapolis Marriott renovation — a project that is a year in with a little over a year still to go.

The firm just finished doing commercial roofing, general architectural and interior designer work for DK Pierce, the first office building to be built in Creekside Park. They are also involved in building multiple homes in Zionsville, a handful of commercial building renovations, some Main Street façade renovations, as well as the Lemon Bar renovation.

Although many architectural firms have a tendency towards specialization, Rausch and his five-person team are fueled by tackling new projects that enable them to grow as professionals.

“Each of our clients is very personal to us,” Rausch says. “We see ourselves as collaborators first and vendors second.”

Therefore, when he first meets with a client, Rausch asks them why they want something done a certain way rather than what they want done.

“Discussing the why behind a project enables me to bring a creative flavor that will result in something that’s more fulfilling for the client and perhaps even exceeds their initial expectation,” Rausch says.

Most of the firm’s work is by referrals, which have spread far and wide as evidenced by the fact that the team just completed a project in Colorado, a house in Santa Fe and additional work in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore.

“Probably 80 percent of our work extends outside of Boone County, but we aspire to do more local projects,” says Rausch, a Zionsville resident since the mid-80s.

He and his wife, Deidra, moved to the area more than three decades ago with the intent of staying briefly before returning to their Ohio roots. Central Indiana turned out to be a great place to live, work and raise a family (they have three grown children) so they stayed put. He plans to follow suit with his career.

“Truth be told, I don’t ever see myself retiring,” Rausch says. “I get up every day, excited about what I do. Why stop now?”