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November 2019 \ BUILDING DIALOGUE \ 87 of that community. It’s really about what makes the location unique, how it serves the community and the Boulder resident.” “So, it was really through public forums that we were able to ask the end user what they would do,” says Leonhardt. “And we took that information, layered it into what the city wanted and adjusted the project as we went along. We really wanted to be flexible and open-minded to the Boulder lifestyle.” Proper Preconstruction Pays Off According to Mack, Milender White and Aimco have a very regimented process of preconstruction that sees him involved very early on in the process. “It’s growing more and more normal in the marketplace as sophisticated owners realize that they’re better off to have a general contractor as a partner throughout the process,” says Mack. “It helps to monitor the budgets and the effects of chang- ing conditions as they go through entitlements.” To that end, Mack utilizes trend logs that are pored over at weekly meetings with Aimco, Milender White and Tryba so that everyone knows exactly where the budget is headed, keep costs contained, stay on schedule and plan ahead for any issues that may arise. Like groundwater where you want to dig a be- low-grade parking garage. “We knew water existed 6 feet down well before we began construction,” says Smith. “So, the basement garage was de- signed to account for groundwater.” Mack explained they had run into something similar while previously working on two hotel projects in downtown Boulder and they knew exactly what to do. “We had experience in building a ceramic microfiltration sled, a skid-mounted water treatment plant,” says Mack. “So, we were able to design one for this project.” “Our groundwater system was designed and budgeted for all along,” says Smith. “We’ve had very few surprises in construc- tion. This is a benefit of a long entitlements process with Boul- der.” Vision Realized Back on the site tour with Leonhardt, Alvarez and Mike Engl- hard, Aimco’s senior vice president of construction, the team en- thusiastically sell the features of Parc Mosaic. But, in all hones- ty, there’s not much selling needed because this property plays more like a resort than an apartment complex. Within the property are a series of green spaces – especially a large lawn that Leonhardt said he fought to keep free of pro- gramming. There are outdoor seating areas, a Zen garden – be- cause, well, Boulder – a play area for kids and in the exact cen- ter of the property stands a contemporary wooden sculpture by Boulder artist Richard Saxton. Just east of Saxton’s sculpture stands the three-story Ameni- ties Center and four L-shaped tenant buildings frame the prop- erty at each corner. Each tenant building is named for a differ- ent rock formationwithin the Flatirons, those famously slanted, reddish-brown sandstone formations that make up a portion of Boulder’s foothills to the west. Benton, Pierre, Archean and Ly- kins together will contain 226 luxury units loaded with features / Parc Mosaic / OPENING ART: Parc Mosaic comprises fourt L-shaped buildings. LEFT: Outdoor seating is just one of the Parc Mosaic’s many amenities. RIGHT: Oversized windows keep the units open and sun filled. BOTTOM: Park Mosaic bathroom PROJECT TEAM DEVELOPER: Aimco GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Millender White ARCHITECT: Tryba Architect