New building gives CCD new classrooms, office space

The 87,000-square-foot Confluence building at Community College of Denver opened May 2.

Located on the southwest side of the Auraria Campus at Seventh Street and West Colfax Avenue, the $40 million building will give students access to services and programs, as well as provide 14 new classrooms, tutoring, testing, office space, meeting rooms and a cafe.

"It’s a really important project for CCD," says Bernice Harris, the college’s Provost and Chief Academic Officer. "We’ve never had a new building, and we’ve never had a building that’s ours."

Confluence is an energy-efficient building with the design taking advantage of natural light and incorporating features such as a green roof, chilled beams, radiant floor, triple-paned insulated glass and sunscreens.

"It is a building that is now the standard for the Auraria Campus," says Duane Risse, the college's Chief Financial Officer and Vice President. "Little old CCD has made its mark on the campus."

Designed by OZ Architecture of Denver and Boora Architects of Portland, Ore., the project was funded by a student-approved fee increase and college reserves. 

"The students wanted this building," Harris says. "They wanted a new building, they wanted more classrooms. It’s really going to be a sea change for this college in terms of how students feel about being at CCD."

Contact Confluence Denver Development News Editor Margaret Jackson with tips and leads for future stories at margaret@confluence-denver.com.