2025 Mountain States Best Projects
Award of Merit, Renovation/Restoration: GSA Building 53
GSA Building 53
Denver
Award of Merit
Submitted by JE Dunn Construction Co.
Owner U.S. General Services Administration
Lead Design Firm Gensler
General Contractor JE Dunn Construction Co.
Civil/Structural Engineer Martin/Martin Consulting Engineers
MEP Engineer Salas O’Brien
Life Safety & Fire Protection Engineer Jensen Hughes
Electric & Low Voltage Contractor Sturgeon Electric
Originally built in 1941 to manufacture machine gun ammunition during WWII, this 388,000-sq-ft building underwent a complex renovation that repurposed nearly 200,000 sq ft and modernized the office space for various government agencies.
The effort consolidates federal workspace at the Denver Federal Center, promoting decarbonization and energy-efficiency.
In the repurposed space, scope included a full interior renovation, major repairs and replacements of structural and architectural deficiencies and upgrades to MEP, fire protection and low voltage systems. The building also remained occupied throughout construction.
There was limited documentation on as-built conditions, and the second-floor slab structure differed in the field. The original building did not include insulation in the exterior wall system and had minimal insulation in the roof system and poorly functioning single pane exterior windows.
As a result, crews completed a full building reroof with enhanced insulation, exterior window replacement with modern energy efficient glazing systems and spray foam insulation on the existing exterior walls throughout the renovated areas.
