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82 / BUILDING DIALOGUE / March 2021 Pandemic Ready When COVID-19 hit the U.S., Swinerton act- ed immediately to implement safety proto- cols, even before state and local government officials. Chad Holajter, Swinerton project executive, explained that Block 162 is LEED Gold certi- fied and was already designed with tenant health and safety in mind, but COVID provid- ed the opportunity to improve in those areas. “We already had filters that were upgraded, but Patrinely has gone above and beyond that and upgraded the filters further. So now the building’s going to have MERV14 micro-fil- ters.” Holajter added Block 162 has improved ven- tilation and also will be the only office build- ing in Denver that can offer an entirely touch- free access sequence from when you enter, either via the parking garage or through the lobby, until you reach your office. Lobby and garage entrance doors will be motion acti- vated and a Thyssenkrup Agile destination dispatch system allows tenants to call an ele- vator via the app and it will take them to any floor in the building they have access to, all touch free. As our conversation winds down, I ask Hal- tom how it feels for Block 162 to be a lasting landmark on the Denver skyline. “Denver has a lot of great architecture and we believe Block 162 will be an excellent ad- dition to the city’s skyline and the opportuni- ty to do that is something that we take great pride in and believe is a real privilege.” \\ / Block 162 / TOP LEFT: Looking down to street level, the city is reflected in Block 162's notched corners. Courtesy Michelle Meunier Photography TOP RIGHT: Elegance and sophistication welcome visitors. Courtesy Michelle Meunier Photography BOTTOM: Adjacent to the sky terrace – which includes seating, fire pits and a manicured garden – is a social lounge for after-hours events.