Best of the Best Winners
Populus Hotel: Precise Coordination Keeps Systems Hidden at Aspen-inspired Denver Hotel
.webp?t=1773961684)
Populus Hotel
Denver
Specialty Construction
Submitted by: Hunt Electric
Region: ENR Mountain States
Owner: Urban Villages
Lead Design Firm: Studio Gang
General Contractor: The Beck Group
Electrical Contractor: Hunt Electric
Nothing would disrupt the feel of a grove of Aspen trees more than exposed electrical infrastructure. That’s one reason why the construction team behind the Populus Hotel—a 13-story hotel in Denver designed to resemble the eyes of the area’s iconic trees—employed precision and close coordination among all construction and design partners.
“Extensive coordination had to take place with the structural engineer for all of our penetrations and cast-in-place elements to avoid impacting the structural integrity of the building, while trying to hide as much electrical infrastructure as possible,” says Tony Franklin, senior project manager for Hunt Electric.
“Planning and coordination of conduit/cable routing had to be taken into account where normally concealed by drywall walls or ceilings.”
Hunt used Building Information Modeling (BIM) as well as GPS-guided layout tools to place conduits and devices within the concrete’s curves, ensuring every element fit within the project’s aspen-inspired geometry.
With an element of the natural world serving as its primary design inspiration, it is only natural that the hotel is focused on minimizing its environmental impact. Intelligent lighting controls, daylight harvesting and energy management systems are designed to enhance guest comfort while also reducing the building’s carbon footprint, Franklin says.
Due to tight site constraints, major equipment—such as the generator and switchgear—was meticulously lowered through the elevator shaft, a feat of logistics and teamwork.
Despite challenging conditions, Hunt Electric logged over 55,000 work hours without a single lost-time injury.
Looking for quick answers on construction and engineering topics?
Try Ask ENR, our new smart AI search tool.
Ask ENR →



