CREJ

/ BUILDING DIALOGUE / DECEMBER 2016

/ Leading the Way with CLT /

• An under-construction, state-of-the-art, 30,000-square-foot building

made completely of CLT, connected to a former warehouse in Boulder –

the first commercial CLT build in the state.

• A 150,000-square-foot, five-story Class A office building in one of Den-

ver’s hottest neighborhoods, named Platte Fifteen.

The first commercial CLT project in Colorado, known as “The Loading

Dock,” is occupied by Penton Media’s New Hope Network and Sovrn. It cre-

atively revitalizes an existing CMU warehouse and adds a 30,000-square-

foot CLT creative office environment. Historically used as a loading dock,

the design embraces the elevated building by creating a pedestrian-friend-

ly boardwalk and links the outdoors with the interior space via floor-to-

ceiling glazed openings, operable glass garage doors, and an orientation to

the Flatirons. The CLT columns and ceiling panels are exposed to reveal a

natural, authentic material warmth and environment not currently avail-

able in the Boulder market.

“The Loading Dock” is one of only a few commercial projects in the na-

tion to fully integrate CLT into its walls, floors, roof and structure. Our

hope is that this uniquely built solution will catalyze workplace design

innovation in East Boulder and provide opportunities to inform, educate

and streamline the design and construction process.

We are investigating using CLT on several projects in the U.S., including

mid- and high-rise structures. Platte Fifteen – the first commercial CLT

project to be built in Denver – is in the design phase with a construc-

tion completion anticipated in the third quarter of 2018. Platte Fifteen is

a five-story, mixed-use building that merges sleek new construction with

the character of a classic brick structure. A mix of uses include boutique

retail, state-of-the-art offices, collaborative common areas, a fitness center,

bike storage, underground parking and a rooftop deck with unobstructed

views of the mountains and downtown Denver.

Unlike other building materials, CLT offers a superior combination of

structural strength and crafted detail that is setting a new standard for

future workplace construction throughout the country. In a technolo-

gy-centered world, people want to connect back to a tactile environment

through spaces that utilize warm materials, authentic character and mod-

ern amenities. We believe that CLT fits seamlessly into that ideal — espe-

cially in Colorado, and look to support our clients in realizing the oppor-

tunities with this newly recognized material in workplace construction

nationwide.

RENDERINGS AND PHOTOS:

OZ Architecture

OPENING ART:

The community lobby at Platte

Fifteen embraces authentic materials

like exposed concrete cores, marble

floors, and CLT throughout.

ABOVE LEFT:

Panels of cross-laminated timber (CLT)

fresh from the shipping container

ABOVE RIGHT:

Platte Fifteen sits on the corner of

Fifteenth Street and Platte Street

in one of Denver’s most desirable

neighborhoods.