2025 Mountain States Best Projects
Best Small Project: Schoolyard Beer Garden at Evans School
Schoolyard Beer Garden at Evans School
Denver
BEST PROJECT
Submitted by Hyder Construction
Owner Columbia Group
Lead Design Firm Kemberlin Architecture
General Contractor Hyder Construction
Structural Engineer IMEG Corp.
MEP Engineer MEP Engineering
Electrical Contractor Encore Electric
After sitting vacant for decades, this adaptive reuse project transformed a 121-year-old school into a mixed-use community hub while preserving its historic character.
Phase 1 saw a complete ground floor renovation of the 1904 building to accommodate a walk-up café, beer garden and flexible gathering spaces while preserving its exterior and original architectural features. A new network of MEP and life safety systems was intricately routed through confined historic cavities since, due to landmark restrictions, services had to be run from the basement to the roof without cutting new chases. The team worked with designers to locate existing cavities that could carry systems floor to floor without compromising structural integrity or finishes.
To install a grease interceptor for a commercial kitchen, traditional exterior excavation wasn’t possible as it would have risked undermining the foundation and added significant cost. Instead, the team converted a low basement crawl space into a functional area. High-pressure water and vacuum trucks were used to slurry-excavate more than 2,000 cu yd of material in a confined, low-clearance space. That area then had to be dried, compacted and reinforced before it could support a new concrete slab. To ensure safety during this process, specific confined-space protocols were implemented, including air monitoring, entry controls and enhanced supervision. Workers also maintained constant communication and minimized time in the space.
