The Denver Architectural League chose the winners of its Micro-Housing Ideas Competition on May 17, as well as seven formal recognitions at a public reception held at Humphries Poli Architects in Denver. Inspired by a call for more innovation in Denver’s existing multifamily housing market, this competition offered designers an opportunity to re-invent smaller, more affordable housing.The competition was hypothetically based on a site located across from the TAXI development in Denver’s growing River North District. Parameters included design of an eight-unit micro-housing complex that provides an entryway to fit with the TAXI community; public access to the river; an
The Colorado Chapter of the American Institute of Architects held its annual Young Architects Awards Gala in Denver on April 26. The winners were selected from entries submitted by firms, designers, students and young architects (designers licensed 10 years or less) from across the state. Entries were judged by a jury of architects and community leaders, facilitated by Dr. Mark Gelernter, dean of the College of Architecture and Planning at the University of Colorado Denver. Photo by Ryan Kane, courtesy of AIA Colorado AIA Colorados Built Architecture Award went to representatives of the Colorado Building Workshop at the University of
A veteran Regional Transportation District project manager who oversaw the recent completion of the new West Light Rail Line from Denver to Golden will return to the North Metro Rail Line, a construction project slated to begin next year. Jim Starling, who originally oversaw the development of the North Metro project during the environmental planning process, was appointed project manager of the West Line in 2009 following the untimely death of his colleague and predecessor, Dennis Cole, who died on June 26, 2009.During the grand opening of the W Line last week, RTD General Manager Phil Washington recognized Starling publicly
Denver’s SLATERPAULL Architects has been named Green Business of the Year by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. The award was presented to the firm at the 2013 Business Award luncheon on April 26. SLATERPAULL specializes in educational environments and historic preservation projects with a focus on sustainable design. “This is quite an honor,” said Jamie Pedler, president and CFO of SLATERPAULL Architects. “We want to thank all of the employees of SLATERPAULL. It’s really their commitment and dedication to sustainability that has truly made us successful.”In addition to the firm’s overall sustainability philosophy, SLATERPAULL has been recognized for the
Shaffer • Baucom Engineering & Consulting is celebrating its 15-year anniversary. The Lakewood, Colo.-based engineering firm was founded to provide engineering and consulting services to institutional, industrial, federal and commercial clients. SBEC specializes in the areas of health care, higher education, K-12 education, aerospace, industrial and science and technology facilities design. Prominent SBEC projects over the last 15 years include Boulder Community Foothills Hospital, the first hospital in the nation to achieve a LEED rating (Silver); University of Colorado at Boulder, Indoor Practice Facility Renovation and Addition (achieved LEED Platinum in 2011); Colorado School of Mines Brown Hall and Mining
Broomfield, Colo.-based MWH, the wet infrastructure design firm and provider of strategic consulting, environmental, engineering and construction services, has opened an office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The office will serve as a hub for construction and engineering professionals and an administrative staff who will support MWH’s efforts in Africa. Since the 1970s, MWH has helped Ethiopia with water- and energy-related challenges. In 1998 MWH was selected by the Ethiopia Electric Power Corp. as owner’s engineers for the Tekeze Hydropower Project in northern Ethiopia. The $350-million, government-funded project–and tallest arch in Africa at 188 meters high—was completed in 2009 and
Loveland, Colo.-based developer McWhinney plans to begin construction later this month on its fifth multifamily project, Arbour Commons, in Westminster. The official groundbreaking will take place in May. Arbour Commons is the second multifamily project developed by McWhinney at the Orchard Town Center, a master-planned community located off I-25 and 144th Avenue. Arbour Commons will be north of Arbour Square Apartments, a 300-unit McWhinney multifamily project that opened in fall 2011.Arbour Commons plans to offer 394 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment homes. All will feature energy-efficient floor plans. “The market has responded well to Arbour Square, and as vacancy rates continue
CEMEX Inc., which owns and operates a Portland cement-manufacturing facility in Lyons, Colo., has agreed to operate advanced pollution controls on its kiln and pay a $1-million civil penalty to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA), according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Dept. of Justice. The settlement was reached on April 19. “This settlement will reduce harmful emissions of nitrogen oxides, which can have serious impacts on respiratory health for communities along Colorado’s Front Range,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Cutting these emissions will also help
On a wet, overcast day last December, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert stood on the deck of the new Sam White Bridge over Interstate 15 and announced the completion of the I-15 Corridor Expansion, or CORE.
The Regional Transportation District's (RTD) FasTracks program—the largest transit expansion in the country—has stimulated the Denver metro area's economy ever since construction began in January 2005.