Renovation of the historic Amick Building in Denver’s Santa Fe Arts District converted a dilapidated and mostly vacant structure into a vibrant office and retail space. The project consisted of two components: renovation of the core and shell of the 1900s building and tenant finish of the second and third floors for the offices of Hyder Construction.

It might have been less expensive to demolish the Amick building and start from scratch, but that wasn’t the space Hyder envisioned. Instead, this project became a study in how to take a broken-down building with historic roots and make it work as a modern office environment without losing its identity. The building once housed Amick Moving and Storage, and it was important for Hyder to keep that piece of history alive in the neighborhood.

Walking off the elevator into Hyder’s lobby, visitors are treated to prints of Denver’s historic Santa Fe Drive and the renovation in various stages of construction. The tenant finish in Hyder’s space is a blend of traditional offices and open cubicles with glass walls to create a feeling of openness and collaboration. The office area features many state-of-the art amenities designed for both work and play, including high-end audio-visual capabilities and sophisticated lighting, an outdoor entertainment space, a fitness center and locker rooms. Other amenities include a large outdoor patio with tables, umbrellas, natural gas heaters and a grill, an open kitchen and a break room with music, cable TV and indoor games.

The project was a chance to showcase a number of preservation and modern construction techniques, from meticulous tuck-pointing to the extensive north curtain wall and a raised roof. Keeping the brick facade in place meant reinforcing nearly the entire building with structural-steel columns and bracing. The restoration was especially challenging on the Santa Fe street side, requiring many lifts and coordinating shutdowns with the city to close parking lanes and sidewalks as needed.

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