909 in Boulder, Colorado by Arch11 Inc

Article source: Arch11 Inc

This is a project that is a pure result of creativity within limits. Boulder, Colorado has some of the strictest building constraints of any municipality in the country. Zoning requirements included height limits, street bulk plane limits, setbacks, a public open space requirement and a requirement for a brick facade.

Image Courtesy © Arch11 Inc

• Architects: Arch11 Inc
• Project: 909
• Location: 909 Walnut Street, Boulder, Colorado, USA
• Software used: Sketchup and Rhino
• Primary Materials Used: Colored Concrete Masonry W/ Glass And Terracotta Sun Screen
• Size Of Building: 14,475 Sf
• Size Of Site: 6,300 Sf
• Cost Of Construction: $3.4 Million
• Completion Date: August 2015

Image Courtesy © Arch11 Inc

The goal of the project was to weave modern design into the historic fabric. The street is primarily masonry (brick) facades and the regulatory body requested that the building be brick. Our intent, for a modern structure, is to dematerialize the typical solidity of the streetscape. And allow a gradual weaving of the public street space with “public” space of the building allowing some programmatic and visual overlap.

Image Courtesy © Arch11 Inc

Image Courtesy © Arch11 Inc

There are two types of layering that define the building sequence from the street edge inward; one is the programmatic layering of accessibly open space: outdoor seating at the street and upmost levels and the lobby. The second, a tectonic layering of the facade: structure, skin, planters and shading articulates how the building is made while reinforcing the gradual weaving of public urban space, “public” building space and the more private office space.

Image Courtesy © Arch11 Inc

Image Courtesy © Arch11 Inc

The design process included several iterations presented to the downtown design review board. The process created design challenges for the team. The team negotiated with the regulatory design body that while not brick, terracotta was an acceptable façade material. The terracotta sunscreen resolves the issue of excess solar energy to the south façade while also referencing the historic brick context of the downtown. The building respects and reinforces the historic nature of downtown while looking to the future with an advanced technological system. The intent to respect without trivializing the past is achieved through façade proportion, color, texture, and materiality, redefining the nearby historic context into a modern building.

Image Courtesy © Arch11 Inc

Image Courtesy © Arch11 Inc

909 is a mixed-use building located on one of the last remaining infill sites in historic downtown boulder, colorado. the street level space was designed for a restaurant client and the two upper levels as speculative office. the client asked for an “exemplary” building for this tight site using healthy building standards and daylighting each space while maximizing the allowable buildable square footage.

Image Courtesy © Arch11 Inc

Image Courtesy © Arch11 Inc

Image Courtesy © Arch11 Inc

Tags: Colorado, USA

Categories: Commercial Area, Mixed use, office Complex, Office space, Offices, Retail, Rhino, SketchUp

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