NEW ORLEANS — RNGD has been selected by the State of Louisiana to serve as construction manager for the new Southeast Louisiana State Office Building in Harvey, overseeing the project’s planning and construction while assuming responsibility for cost controls and scheduling. The project will replace the existing state office building with a new facility intended to house state agencies and serve the Greater New Orleans region.
Under the construction “manager-at-risk” (CMAR) delivery model, RNGD will be engaged early in the design process and will be contractually responsible for delivering the project within an agreed-upon budget and timeline. The firm typically guarantees a maximum project cost and assumes the risk of certain cost overruns, a structure intended to provide the state with greater cost certainty, coordination and oversight than a traditional bid-build approach.
Project Scope and Design
The $84 million project will encompass approximately 116,000 square feet of office space and was designed by Trapolin-Peer Architects in collaboration with Gensler. The new building is intended to replace the existing Harvey state office facility and modernize office infrastructure for state agencies serving the Greater New Orleans region.
Selection Process
State officials selected RNGD following a competitive proposal process that evaluated experience with CMAR delivery, public-sector construction and office projects. The Metairie-based firm said its proposal emphasized coordination across design, fabrication and construction, drawing on its integrated capabilities in prefabrication, design-build mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, heavy civil work and structural steel fabrication, as well as prior work on state facilities and renovation projects.
Founded in 2013 and rebranded in 2024, RNGD employs more than 325 people and reports having delivered more than $1.54 billion in construction projects, experience the company said positioned it to manage the scope and complexity of the Harvey state office building.
“We are honored to partner with the State of Louisiana on this important infrastructure project,” said Wesley J. Palmisano, CEO of RNGD, in a prepared statement. “Our team’s experience with collaborative project delivery and public-sector construction positions us to support the state’s goals for this facility.”
Construction and Operations
RNGD said it plans to use an integrated construction approach that incorporates offsite manufacturing and prefabrication where feasible. The strategy may include prefabricated exterior wall panels, modular interior wall systems and prefabricated mechanical, electrical and plumbing assemblies, which the company has used on other projects to reduce construction timelines and improve coordination.
The company operates a 135,000-square-foot prefabrication facility in the New Orleans area, located approximately 11 miles from the Harvey site, which can support portions of the project and reduce transportation and staging requirements during construction.
RNGD’s project team includes personnel with experience delivering projects under the CMAR model, including early design coordination, pre-construction cost management and phased construction, as well as experience with office buildings and state facilities.
DBE Participation and Sustainability
In addition to its work on state facilities, RNGD reported that it has awarded more than $150 million in contracts to disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs) across more than 25 projects in recent years. The company said DBE participation will be part of its approach to the Southeast Louisiana State Office Building project.
RNGD also said it incorporates sustainability practices across its construction portfolio, including the use of offsite manufacturing and controlled fabrication environments to reduce material waste and improve efficiency. The company estimates that these practices have resulted in a reduction in jobsite waste on similar projects.
In 2025, RNGD received national recognition from Procore Technologies as a Groundbreaker Award winner in the “Building for Tomorrow” category, which honors organizations focused on advancing construction methods and project delivery.
RNGD maintains its headquarters in Metairie and has additional offices in Vicksburg, Mississippi; Nashville, Tennessee; and Huntsville, Alabama.
