The first undergraduates at the
University of Colorado Denver’s College of Architecture and Planning will attend class in a space designed specifically for them.
This fall, the school will welcome its first class of undergrads -- the university previously offered only a master's of architecture program -- into new space on the second floor of the CU Denver Building at 1250 14th St.
The 22,000-square-foot space was converted from offices to a loft-style design with studios space, lecture hall, lounge and a catering kitchen. Student services offices also have been incorporated into the design.
Designed by Dominic Weilminster, an Associate at RNL and a graduate of the school's master of architecture program, the project creates a new front door for the school, as well as a place for public engagement with the surrounding downtown community.
"It was a big benefit having gone to school here because I had the experience of the space and how it's used," Weilminster says.
The lobby furniture was designed by students and is made from beetle kill wood. Additional furniture was built from doors recycled from the original space.
"The raw steel and plywood finishes reflect that this is a learning space for architecture students," Weilminster says. "They are the building blocks of the trade."
The project and the new undergraduate program coincides with the university's 40th anniversary and are examples of CU Denver building on four decades of excellence and growth.
The CU Denver community and the general public are invited to get the first look at the new space during the school's second-annual Block Party from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 22. Food trucks, bands, a rock wall and ropes course will be on tap along Lawrence between 14th and 15th streets.
Contact Confluence Denver Development News Editor Margaret Jackson with tips and leads for future stories at margaret@confluence-denver.com.
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.