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/ BUILDING DIALOGUE / MARCH 2016
natural light coming in from the ceiling,” she says.
Davis Partnership Architecture, which moved in Jan. 4, has
turned the cavernous space into an inviting and inspiring
place for its 150-person team. After searching for new head-
quarters in central downtown Denver, the Denver Design
District and the Highlands, the firm’s leaders chose the
newly renovated warehouse on Blake Street for its “good
bones” and its dynamic environment.
“We felt a strong affinity to RiNo and the fact that’s evolv-
ing rapidly into a place where you could live, work and
play,” says Brian Erickson, principal at Davis Partnership. “It
also fit the needs and lifestyle of our staff.”
Erickson says the Bindery’s proximity to downtown and
access to public transportation were also contributing fac-
tors in the decision to relocate there. Davis included show-
ers and bike storage in an effort to encourage alternative
transportation and attract young talent. The firm seems to
have succeeded; the average age at Davis is 35, and many
live in the area.
The company also installed a green wall in the atrium,
which serves as food for the eye as well as a source of fresh
herbs for the on-site kitchen. Aside from bountiful day-
lighting throughout the space, the offices also feature radi-
ant heating and cooling, features that put the new offices
of Davis Partnership in the running for LEED Gold status.
The adjoining property at 2875 Blake St., which used to
house the bindery equipment, is now home to three compa-
nies: C Squared Ciders; Bierstadt Lagerhaus, a German-style
brewery; and Rackhouse Pub. That makes three large-scale
businesses operating under one supersized roof.
The pub is located on a mezzanine overlooking giant
brewing vats. With floor-to-ceiling windows on the mez-
zanine, the pub offers views of the mountains and down-
town, and provides a tasting room for ciders and beers. The
award-winning C Squared Cidery uses an old truck bed for
its C-Suite. The truck, which was lowered into place with a
crane, is now home to cozy, anything-but “corporate” offices.
“The mix of old manufacturing space and new creative
space makes it a really interesting environment to work in,”
says Chris Rippe, owner of the Rackhouse Pub and a part-
ner in the brewery.
Rippe notes that finding a place that could house all
three businesses was challenging. “This space had the in-
frastructure in place that we really needed to succeed,” he
says, “not just within the building, but also in the neighbor-
hood with its incredible community and growth potential.”
Printing press remnants have been recycled and are now
used as tabletops, room dividers and other objects of inter-
est in the pub. A painted Magnus Metals sign is still visible
on the back wall of the warehouse. Perhaps most important
is the gigantic silo that sits between the two buildings and
serves as a landmark and anchor for the property.
Bindery on Blake has succeeded in ways that Barry and
Sonia Danielsen had envisioned, and inmany they had never
imagined.
“In the past, the word bindery was a printing term,” Sonia
says. “But today, in its new life, the Bindery is bringing people
and ideas together.”
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/ Redefining ‘Bindery’ on Blake Street /
ABOVE:
Sonia and Barry Danielson
RIGHT:
Artist studio inside 2901 Blake
