Our University of Denver Community Commons building was recently featured in an in-depth article about its sustainable design strategies in Green Building & Design.
The story highlights the extraordinary environmental strategies our team was able to achieve, thanks to a deep environmental commitment from the University and an unrelenting persistence from both the design and construction teams. Just a few of these environmental achievements include:
- The largest green roof on the University campus.
- A 49% reduction in energy consumption compared to similar campus student center buildings.
- A 45% reduction of indoor water use.
- Capture and filtration of 100% of the site’s storm water before distribution into Colorado’s waterways.
A focus on first-generation students: This project was also a special opportunity for our team to focus on creating an environment conducive to the success of first-generation college students. Built in tandem with a new first year residence hall, a project driven by the same goal, we focused on providing an array of spaces that were flexible, open, and inclusive to make every student feel welcome. We saw the potential of using food as a way to unite the entire University of Denver community and the building’s second floor Marketplace has become a campus-wide draw with its variety of healthy food options that represent many different cultures.
Incorporating the beauty of Colorado: The article’s author, Yuyan Zhang, was also particularly captivated by a couple key design decisions that were inspired by the building’s unique Colorado context. A central canyon-like space within the heart of the building evokes the nearby majestic regional landscape within Colorado’s desert regions. Its exterior local copper cladding also pays tribute to the region and its geology with its banded geometric patterning.
Our team thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to work with the University of Denver’s Office of the University Architect and our local partners Anderson Mason Dale Architects to realize this long-desired central hub of student life for this urban campus.
