2019 Mayor’s Design Awards: Meet the Stewards of Denver Design

Denver is one of the fastest-growing US cities: our skyline is peppered with cranes, new businesses open daily, and, as anyone who recently applied for a building permit knows, construction is at full-force. In response, the city unveiled not one, but three comprehensive plans to address the issue of growth—setting forth intentional measures to craft a more thoughtful and vibrant city.

On November 7, the stewards of Denver’s built environment gathered together at Ellie Caulkins Opera House to celebrate those who are doing it right at the 2019 Mayor’s Design Awards, organized by Denver Community Planning and Development.

About the Mayor’s Design Award

“Since 2005, the Mayor’s Design Awards have honored projects throughout the city for excellence in architecture, exterior design and place-making. The awards are presented to Denver homeowners, business owners, nonprofits, artists and others for their creative contributions to the public realm through innovative external design and place-making.”

Congratulations to our fellow honorees! Keep reading for a tour of award-winning projects—organized by category—and the innovative teams behind them.

DISTINCTIVE DENVER

Projects with unique features or elements that set them apart from similar structures, uses and building forms.

Photo by JC Buck

50Fifty DTC | 5050 S. Syracuse Street
Inspired by the client’s love of sailing, 50Fifty DTC is a 400,000 square-foot multi-level office tower that evokes the feeling of cutting through open water paired with the grandeur of vast open scapes.
Source: Clutch Design Studio

Owner: 5050 South Syracuse LLC
Architect: Clutch Design Studios
Builder: Hensel Phelps

Riverview at 1700 Platte Street | 1700 Platte Street
1700 Platte Street is conceived of as an industrial office loft with generous ceiling heights, simple, robust materials and a sense of permanence and quality reflecting the historic industrial character of Platte Street.
Source: Tryba Architects

Owner: Clarion Partners
Architect: Tryba Architects
Builder: Saunders Construction
Developers: Trammell Crow Company and Joint Venture Partners: Clarion Partners and California State Teacher’s Retirement System (CalSTRS)

Photo by David Lauer

SugarSquare | 1544 Wazee Street
A crucial yet highly sensitive infill into LoDo’s urban fabric, this four-story building fills a 25-foot wide slot between the six-story Historic Sugar Building and the two-story neighbor at 1540 Wazee.
Source: Semple Brown

Owner: Urban Villages, Inc.
Architect: Semple Brown
Builder: Jordy Construction

DENSITY BY DESIGN

Multi-family and mixed-use developments.

The Grand | 1777 Chestnut Place
The project showcases rigor, restraint, and timelessness in design, while referencing the site’s industrial heritage.
Source: Shears Adkins Rockmore Architects

Owner: Shorenstein Properties, LLC
Architect: Shears Adkins Rockmore Architects
Designer: Ken Fulk Interiors
Builder: Saunders Construction
Landscape Architect: Dig Studio

The Lydian | 2590 Welton Street
The inviting nature of this space epitomizes the public involvement in the design process as well as the ideas of inclusivity and community engagement.
Source: Craine Architecture

Owner: Palisade Partners & Confluence Companies
Architect: Craine Architecture
Builder: Confluence Builders

THIS IS HOME

Single-family projects, including accessory dwelling units, as well as other forms of non-traditional housing.

Photo by Ben Eyster

Silver Lining House | 357 Broadway
The Silver Lining House provides a safe and stable community environment for young adults transitioning from life on the streets. Through spiritual, employment, and life skills guidance, each resident will learn to thrive and accomplish their goals and dreams for their future.
Source: Providence Network

Owner: Providence Network
Architect: Shopworks Architecture
Builder: I-Kota

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Projects that involve the preservation of older, historic buildings and adaptive reuse. Nominated structures don’t have to be designated city landmarks.

900 Penn | 900 Pennsylvania Street
The project’s vision was to transform the existing inwardly focused building and embrace the exterior.
Source: Davis Urban

Owner: Nadine Lange
Architect: Davis Urban
Designer: Griffith Interior Design, Monroe Newell
Builder: Sprung Construction

Hyder Construction | 1031 Santa Fe Drive
We kept a number of rugged mainstays original to the building, such as the exposed brick and ghost signs from legacy businesses that told a story of industry that resonated strongly with Hyder’s culture.
Source: Elsy Studios

Owner: Evergreen Three, LLC.
Architects/Designers: Elsy Studios / Hyder Construction
Builder: Hyder Construction

Junction 23 | 2323 Delgany Street
In the shadow of Coors Field and just a few blocks from the Larimer Street dining scene, this vibrant Five Points coworking space is a popular landing spot for teams of all sizes.
Source: WeWork

Owner: WL Denver Delgany Owner LLC
Architect: Gensler
Builder: Everwest Real Estate Investors

Photo by Brittni Bell

Woodie Fisher | 1999 Chestnut Place
This neighborhood, formerly known as The Bottoms represents both Denver’s oldest and newest districts and Woodie Fisher serves as a metaphor for the City of Denver and the Bottom’s history.
Source: Woodie Fisher

Owner: Focus Properties
Architect: BOSS Architecture, Johnson Nathan Strohe
Designer: ArtHouse Design
Builder: Alliance Construction
Fabricator: ADCON

ART ALL AROUND

Projects that involve murals, sculpture and other forms of art in the public realm.

Home Sweet Montbello | Andrews Drive and Peoria Street
This project is important for our residents and especially our youth to know that they can create and imagine ways to make our neighborhoods healthier and stronger. All it starts with an idea.
Source: Denver Arts and Venues

Organizers: Councilwoman Stacie Gilmore, District 11; Ann White, Montbello 2020; Donna Garnett, Montbello Organizing Committee
Artist: Thomas “Detour” Evans

NEIGHBORHOOD GEM

Projects that exemplify the unique character of their neighborhoods and are recognized by the community as local treasures.

Photo by Cassandra Covotsos

The Constellation | 10175 E. 29th Drive
Drawing upon the community’s rich history of aviation as the original home to Stapleton International Airport, a first class menu of sweet treats soars sky-high with scratch-made ice cream, sorbet, homemade waffle cones and ice cream novelties, such as the flambéed Baked Alaska ice cream cake pop and chocolate airplane toppings.
Source: Little Man Ice Cream

Owner: Paul Tamburello, Little Man Ice Cream Company
Architects: Koch/Covotsos Architects
Builders: Spectrum General Contractors, Miramar Construction, Arizona Model Aircrafters

Click here to learn more about the 2019 Mayor’s Design Awards.