The Colorado Architect » Design

DIA Terminal Hotel

admin — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:16:07 +0000

DIA unveiled the proposed terminal hotel and rail station yesterday. I posted an article at Examiner.com.

Denver International Airport

I am absolutely in love with this design. I have been a big fan of architect Santiago Calatrava, and this work is signature of his simple, elegant, and honest design.

Well done…

Whitewashed Architecture

admin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:14:57 +0000

Something I’ve noticed lately is the lack of color in modern buildings. Its almost as if modern designers are paraphrasing Henry Ford, “you can choose any color you like, as long as it’s white.”

(Oomen Architecten)

Take this home by Oomen Architecten. I love the home and the design…its fantastic! But, the interior is all white.

(Oomen Architecten)

I don’t mean to pick on this one home because I have seen a number homes and commercial spaces in all white lately. Architects dress in black, design in white, and are trying to be green.  Why are we so afraid of color?

Now, I’m not the greatest at color, which is why I call my favorite color consultant when I want to step out of my comfort zone.

And, I’m curious, do these architects have children?

AIA Colorado Hands Out Design Awards

admin — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:07:40 +0000

The American Institute of Architects (AIA), Colorado, recognized its 2009 architectural design, honor and president’s awards recipients during a ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Keystone Resort and Conference Center (Keystone, Colo.). The following architectural design awards were selected from 120 entries submitted by Colorado architects who are members of AIA Colorado. These were presented by AIA Colorado 2009 Design Awards Jury Chair Deborah Berke, FAIA, of Deborah Berke & Partners Architects in New York.

Chapel of the Sky

Honor, Built Architecture

Anderson Mason Dale Architects (Denver) for Chapel of the Sky (Granite, Colo.)

Armstrong Oil and Gas

Honor, Built Architecture

Bothwell Davis George Architects (Denver) and Lake|Flato Architects, Inc. (San Antonio, Texas) for Armstrong Oil and Gas, Inc. (Denver)

DEA

Honor, Built Architecture

Gensler (Denver) for DEA – Centennial Station Office Building (Centennial, Colo.)

Additionally, Brian R. Klipp, FAIA of klipp (Denver) was named Architect of the Year and Studio B Architects (Aspen) was named Firm of the Year.

AIA Colorado Hands Out Honor Awards

admin — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 05:11:39 +0000

The American Institute of Architects (AIA), Denver chapter, recognized its 2009 architectural design, honor and president’s awards recipients during a ceremony on Sept. 11, at The Pepsi Center.

The following architectural design awards were selected from 66 entries submitted by members of AIA Denver and judged by a jury of architects and design experts from New York. These were presented by AIA Denver Design Awards Jury Chair Bruce Fowle, FAIA, of FXFOWLE Architects (New York).

In the Built Projects-Architecture category, Bothwell Davis George Architects of Denver along with Lake Flato Architects of San Antonio won an Honor award for the Armstrong Oil and Gas project in Denver (right).

Also in the Built Projects-Architecture category Anderson Mason Dale Architects of Denver along with Antoine Predock Architect of Albuquerque took home an Honor award for the Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center in Colorado Springs (below).

4240 Architecture of Denver won an Honor award for their studio and the Denver office of Gensler also took home an Honor award in the Built Projects-Interiors category for the WPP CO-Location project in Denver.

Congratulations to the winners… Merit award winning projects will be posted as well in the coming week.

Building Brand

admin — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:03:04 +0000

Branding. Usually it’s thought of as a marketing scheme, something you see on TV or in a magazine. But branding goes beyond advertising. Good branding will extend into all facets of a company or group to establish consistency in expectation or experience of their customers

Architecture can be influenced a company’s branding or product, sometimes to an extreme. You’ve probably seen the Longaberger Basket office building in Newark, Ohio. The hot dog shaped Coney Island building on US-285 in Conifer, Colorado is a landmark in the state.

Architecture can certainly influence a company’s brand as well. Take the Colorado Convention Center in downtown Denver. If you visit their website, you will see a short animation load that shows the building’s 14th Street facade, complete with the big blue bear. They are proud of their building, and should be.

What caught my attention on the website was the branding that the Colorado Convention Center has created, all based on the design of the facility. Fentress Architects designed the structure after voters approved funding for the project in 1999. The striking roof lines are bold and immediately recognizable from numerous vantage points throughout the city.

The Colorado Convention Center has incorporated the sweeping roof lines into their logo. The result is a simple form that suggests a modern, forward thinking group. The website plays on the design as well. The fresh colors and angled graphics, again, emphasize the roof lines and reinforce the logo.

Architecture is often completed in a vacuum, without much relation to an established corporate identity. But, there are those times when a building creates the identity.

Wonderful Design Work

admin — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:35:51 +0000

I love this guy’s work…

Centre Sky Architecture

There is so much attention to detail, such a unique perspective. The design reveals and respects craftsmanship. True architecture in that the buildings belong TO (not just on) the site.

I could look at it all day…