Denver, CO (Schematic Design)

The Bell Tower sits on a site in downtown Denver, nestled between the business district, the historic Larimer Square, and the CU campus. Given its adjacency to Cherry Creek and Speer Blvd., the tower will always be perceived in open space from all sides. It can be thought of as a gateway building - an entry marker into Downtown Denver. For these reasons, the design employs the use of form shifts around and up its massing to hold interest and dynamism as one moves around the site. Restricted to a 400' height and 7,500sf floor plates and by view corridors, setbacks, and public ways, the project is a massive challenge.

The end of Schematic Design marked several milestones:

Through working with city's design review council, the design team developed an approach to the tower base that engages the public with human scale elements. Through rigorous study and clean conceptual diagraming, the client's programmatic requirements for the luxury apartments and amenities were met. The 'exposed on all sides' site challenges of utilities, loading, and underground parking had found clear paths forward. Finally, the spirit of the project to achieve an iconic form had been preserved.