CREJ

June 2020 \ BUILDING DIALOGUE \ 83 / Buell Public Media Center / team collaborated on design, the technical performance requirements of the space and need for visibility were center stage. “A big concern for Tryba and Rocky Mountain Public Media was the integrator’s scope of work, which is every- thing that makes a TV and radio station function,” says Dave Espinosa, project executive with Mortenson. “There are many requirements unique to these facilities, such as high-rated walls for sound and acoustics, acoustical sepa- rations for the floors and all the requirements that come with the tech core itself where you have all the of the technology that is distributed to all the places around the building.” “We’ve done performance spaces with similar require- ments in terms of acoustics and sightlines, but just not the same degree of broadcast and recording overlay,” says Tryba’s John McIntyre, ANZIA, International Assoc. AIA. “There was also the vision for the building that was a response to (Rocky Mountain Public Media’s) values of being grounded and of its place while also projecting a sense of the future. We wanted to celebrate their pro- grams and have them visible, accessible and a vital part of the local community.” “What was really interesting was to create a building that feels very natural, comfortable and effortless and el- egantly resolves the complicated interrelation between technology, building systems and spatial planning with OPENING ART: Buell Public Media Center is the new, one-of-a-kind hub for Colorado’s leaders in public media and journalism. Courtesy Rocky Mountain Photography LEFT: Located at Arapahoe and 21st streets, the neighborhood allows Rocky Mountain Public Media to be more visible, offering transparency at the street level, bringing more windows into the space so passersby can see media being made. RIGHT: The first floor of the 65,000-square-foot facility will feature a live-performance broadcast studio in addition to a 125-seat Masterpiece Theater, green screen studio, a production studio, a children’s learning and programming center, and classrooms.