8
BUSINESS NEWS ARCH11 RECEIVES AIA COLORADO TOP HONORS FOR MIXED-USE BUILDING DESIGN IN DOWNTOWN BOULDER AT 2018 AWARDS Boulder/Denver architecture firm Arch11 received top honors from the American Institute of Architects Colorado at the organization’s Design & Honor Awards Gala. AIA Colorado characterizes this year’s winners as “pushing their designs to the next level so that they serve the community and clients, both today and in the future.” Arch11 received both the AIA Colorado Notable in the North award and a Colorado Award of Excellence for its 909 Walnut Street project – a modern, mixed-use building in Boulder’s historical downtown. The award-winning building at 909 Walnut Street is located on one of Downtown Boulder’s last remaining infill sites where the property owners envisioned an “exemplary” project that would combine their commercial objectives for a sustainable, mixed-use building with the aesthetic demands of the area’s turn-of- the-20th-century context. To maximize the desired outcome, Arch11’s Principal E.J. Meade and Project Architect Kimble Hobbs realized early in the process that to maintain the streetscape’s integrity, less would be more. Working within the city of Boulder’s Downtown Urban Design Guidelines and stringent zoning regulations, they manipulated the buildable volume to optimize square footage and provide daylight deep into the 14,475-square-foot structure. A three-story structure with two floors of offices above a ground-floor restaurant, the 909 Walnut design references the height and proportions of its masonry neighbors while establishing its own presence in Boulder’s iconic low-rise commercial cityscape. To shade the south-facing glass along the street front, Arch11 suspended a slender brise- soleil made from terracotta “baguettes” from the building’s structure. About the delicately proportioned screening device that serves
to both shade the interiors and maintain the established building edge along the sidewalk, the AIA jury said that they “loved the sunshade and the way it addressed the street.” “Windows” on the 909 Walnut building were subtracted from the continuous sun screen to provide light and views from within and to emulate the look and proportions of its brick neighbors’ deep “punched” openings. Light scoops on the east and west sides of the building – where windows weren’t permitted – deliver additional daylight to the lobby and second- and third-floor offices. With a commitment to sustainable design throughout, the building’s energy performance was projected to be 43 percent better than a similarly sized/located baseline building. Overall, the AIA Colorado jury praised the project as “beautiful!” and appreciated it as “sophisticated and well-accomplished inside and out.” Of the honor, Arch11’s Hobbs says, “Arch11 is grateful to have been a part of this project and delighted to have it receive the highest honor from the awards jury. With this award,” he adds, “we are reminded that good buildings are rarely possible without a patient, understanding client and a team willing to put hard work into the pursuit of ideas.” Arch11 has previously proven its ability to creatively repurpose buildings with contemporary design solutions that respect the past in projects such as Boulder’s 1904 Pearl Street and the Canyon Center office building. Similarly, such Arch11-designed restaurants as Oak at Fourteenth in Boulder, and Denver’s Humboldt, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot and Ignite! have each given new life to older structures while reflecting the authenticity of the place. Founded in 1993, Arch11 has gained recognition for projects ranging from exceptional residences to institutional planning,
mixed-use development, and product design, including a 2009 Firm of the Year Award from the Colorado AIA North chapter, and in 2017 Principal E.J. Meade received Colorado Homes & Lifestyles magazine’s Circle of Excellence Award. With offices in Boulder and Denver, Colo., Arch11 has more than 30 combined years of green building technology leadership. The team’s unusual level of hands- on experience ranges from boat building to furniture making, contributing to its reputation for commitment to craft, detailing, and design integrity. GLASSHOUSES TO OPEN IN NEW FLAGSHIP LOCATION IN FALL 2019 Glasshouses, developer, and operator of Glasshouse Chelsea, announced a Fall 2019 opening of a flagship property, The Glasshouse at 660 12th Avenue. The 75,000-square-foot glass enclosed space will accommodate up to 1,850 guests for seated dinners and will feature sweeping views of New York City, waterfront facing outdoor terraces, pre-function spaces, a VIP Lounge, and several Green Rooms along with cutting-edge lighting, audio, video, rigging, and production systems. The high-rise space has been designed as a canvas without bounds and will have the flexibility to host small or large social events and weddings, corporate gatherings, product launches, or full production fashion shows. The décor will offer clients a timeless, clean aesthetic, allowing them to create their desired vision with an unparalleled Manhattan backdrop. From the high finish polished concrete floor with patterned zinc strips to the customizable decorative ceiling outfitted in silver leaf wallpaper, the main floor has been designed by interior architect Thomas Juul-Hansen and Kossar Garry Architects with a focus on sprawling views and individualized use of the space.
LK: I believe people will stick around if they are given op- portunities to grow a career and evolve within the firm. Also, most important is having a great team of people who truly enjoy working together. It’s said that people typically don’t leave companies, they leave bosses. Making sure we cultivate great bosses who create great opportunities for employees to grow and evolve is key. “I purposefully stop myself and ask for others’ insights, regardless of if they are different from mine. I am a strong personality and it takes time for people to realize I am listening and considering their perspective, that I value the differences. It requires trust and openness.”
CONFERENCE CALL, from page 7
behaviors. Diversity is easier to solve for in many cases, in my opinion. Ensuring you have created an inclusive culture is a little more like wrangling fog. You may think you have one but it’s important to find out from the inside if every- one feels its inclusive. Are they heard? Do they feel comfort- able speaking up even with the contrary opinion or idea? I purposefully stop myself and ask for others’ insights, re- gardless of if they are different from mine. I am a strong personality and it takes time for people to realize I am lis- tening and considering their perspective, that I value the differences. It requires trust and openness. Instilling inclu- siveness as a “way we be” starts at the top by modeling the behavior and expecting it of others. TZL: A firm’s longevity is valuable. What are you doing to encourage your staff to stick around?
© Copyright 2019. Zweig Group. All rights reserved.
THE ZWEIG LETTER January 7, 2019, ISSUE 1278
Made with FlippingBook Annual report