CREJ

SEPTEMBER 2017 \ BUILDING DIALOGUE \

opulous is a global architecture and de-

sign firm with a portfolio including proj-

ects like Coors Field, Dick’s Sporting Goods

Park, Pepsi Center, the 2012 Summer Olym-

pic & Paralympic Games in London and the Super

Bowl. The firm’s tag line of “Drawing People Togeth-

er” defines its work in the aviation, convention cen-

ter and sports markets. The firm itself was founded

in 1983, and the Denver office opened in 2004 as a

specialized event practice. Previously located on 15th

Street in the Highland Park neighborhood, the Denver

practice began seeking a new office to house its grow-

ing workforce, culminating in the recent move to and renovation of

their new home at 1630 Stout St.

Chairman of the Global Board, Jerry Anderson, designer for numer-

ous Olympics and Super Bowls, helped provide the vision for our new

home.

“When tasked with selecting a new office, we were drawn to the

downtown area because of its connectivity to people and businesses

alike,” Anderson said. “Our business is creating places where people

love to be together, and it was imperative for us to apply this logic to

our new home. Designing an office for architects requires building

consensus, and the design team was instrumental in navigating this

process through multiple charrettes.”

The strategy for our new Denver office focused on continuing the

visual style of the newly designed Populous Americas headquarters

in Kansas City as well as Populous offices located in San Francisco,

Boston, New York and Pittsburgh. The Denver office now showcases its

unique offering of international event overlay services and provided

the infrastructure for a growing architecture practice. The specific de-

sign requirements for housing event overlay and architecture teams

necessitated the development of a flexible, vibrant and open office

environment.

Two separate levels and an enclosed staircase became open floors

that share an expansive foyer, and the front entrance became a wall

of glass to bathe the interior with as much natural light as possible

– a trend for emphasizing the connection between community and

office.

An open office environment is critical for the way architects and

planners collaborate and allow flexibility in a relatively small foot-

print. The unique ebb and flow of the Denver practice means the

Jeff Keas

Senior

Principal,

Populous