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/ BUILDING DIALOGUE / SEPTEMBER 2016
Inside & Out(side)
BURKETT DESIGN
U
nexpected artistry, color and human-centric de-
sign shape Holland & Hart’s newly minted law
office in downtown Denver. Peeling away any
stereotypes of conventional law firm design, Holland
& Hart’s 180,000-rentable-square-foot Denver remodel
is a fresh outward-looking space that challenges the
well-preserved law firm mold, and boldly differenti-
ates itself from its competition. The goal was to build
a state-of-the-art law office that would enable future
generations to engage and thrive, and continue the
evolution of this renowned firm’s practice. In doing
so the design provides a vivid and authentic work en-
vironment that taps into the collective hearts of its
attorneys, clients and the community.
The project took five years from start to finish, and
represented a complete gutting and restack of nine
floors at 555 17th street. This approach enabled every
aspect of the new space to be considered carefully.
An in-depth programming effort revealed large- and
small-scale infrastructural and cultural elements that
needed to be addressed such as: workflow adjacencies,
integration of different generations and work styles,
advanced sound attenuation, improved technology,
and the need for abundant natural daylight through-
out the entire space. All of these items were carefully
considered and balanced against the overall design
and construction budget.
With six typical attorney floors within the eight-
floor stack, it was important to individualize and
differentiate each floor while still maintaining the
strength of the overall design as it relates to the recep-
tion/conference floors. The north/south axis extend-
ing from the elevator lobby on each “typical” attorney
floor has a different color that permeates each finish
assigned to the architecture that shapes that axis. The
finishes throughout the rest of the space are other-
wise neutral, allowing the pop of color to emerge as a
differentiator. The colors were carefully selected from
the firm’s outstanding western art collection which,
when incorporated into the newer modern context,
has come alive again.
Carefully crafted details create a warm human ele-
ment and define the personality of the reception se-
quence and conference center. Specifically, the stacked
lacquer blocks embedded into a high profile corner of
the wood spine wall at the reception area are a sculp-
tural culmination of each of the individual colors
PROJECT TEAM
Holland & Hart
Provident Construction
CRESA (brokers)
Herman Miller Workplace Resource
(furniture)
VH + Klock (engineers)
Woodcraft Unlimited (millwork)
Shaw (carpet)
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