It's not often that designers get a chance to create a space for the people who make their designs a reality. In this project, Gensler teamed with Turner Construction to design a thoughtfully detailed and constructed office in a historic 1949 building. Located in Denver's vibrant Lower Downtown District, Turner's office has become not only a showcase for its craft but also a tool to demonstrate the company's strong, renewed presence in the Colorado and regional construction market.

With a condensed construction schedule of eight weeks and an extremely tight budget, the design team and Turner worked collaboratively on the space from inception through construction to meet all deadlines, budget constraints and project aspirations.

The goals for the project were to reestablish Turner's presence in the Denver market by creating a distinctive space reflective of its brand and products, to use materials in unconventional ways to celebrate the construction process and to provide creative, sustainable design solutions that address environmental concerns as well as the health and well-being of Turner's multigenerational staff.

These goals were achieved by creating a work environment that celebrates Turner's dualities as a strong local branch of a national company as well as a hands-on construction firm that builds high-quality design projects. For example, the space showcases the existing "bones" and character of the historic LoDo loft building while implementing modern day furniture and architectural design.

To further reinforce these ideas, the use of locally sourced materials such as beetle-kill pine and reclaimed millwork reflect Turner's Denver presence, while detailing, such as the Turner logo made of hundreds of drywall screws, creates a playful twist on the firm's skills and expertise.

Gensler worked with Turner to turn a tight budget into a strong conceptual-design driver. Given the relatively raw conditions of the building, much of the budget was allocated to redesigning the HVAC and electrical systems. New streamlined conduit carefully placed in the ceiling now adds a new layer of design to a space that reinforces how almost anything raw can be transformed into something both refined and highly efficient.

2013 Best Interiors/Tenant Improvement Project

Turner Construction Office

Denver

Key Players

Owner Turner Construction Co., Denver

Architect Gensler, Denver