CREJ

12 / BUILDING DIALOGUE / December 2021 ADVERTISING: Lori Golightly lgolightly@crej.com SUBSCRIPTIONS: Jolene Wollett jwollett@crej.com ART DIRECTOR: Heather Lewis hlewis@crej.com 1600 Stout St., Suite 1330 Denver, CO 80202 (303) 623-1148 www.crej.com www.crej.com/buildingdialogue/ Publisher’s Note W elcome to the start of our ninth year publishing Building Dialogue! We’ve had the good fortune to highlight somany of your projects, design trends and thought leadership along the way. And we look forward to featuringmore of the same in coming issues and years. While I briefly considered railing against Daylight Saving Time and perhaps advocating for its abolishment, instead I’d like to focus on some more pertinent commercial real estate realities as well as a few uplifting themes that emerged while pulling together the December issue. People are slowly returning to work. Or not. And therefore it’s a challenge for all parties involved who own, operate and outfit commercial real estate. Given that reality, it seems the old adage “success occurs when opportunity meets preparation” is where most of us are putting our chips. To that end, articles in this issue suggest considerations to keep inmind for returning towork, namelyhowworkplacedesigncan positively enhance the employee experience, culture and busi- ness goals; as well as envisioning the workplace of the future, whichhinges onworkstyles and preferences of our youngest col- leagues. Other contributions include discussions as to why art in the workplace is more important than ever – not only does art cre- ate awelcoming environment, it also can reflect a company’s val- ue and it can be a good investment. As one author notes, “When treated as more than a decorative afterthought, art creates mem- orable experiences that improve our quality of life.” Taking art a step further, Fentress Architects recently complet- ed the transformationof theDenver ArtMuseum, including reno- vating the museum’s Martin Building as well as adding the Anna & John J. SieWelcome Center. These projects, says Curtis Fentress, “will unify the larger Denver Art Museum campus and enable it to better serve the community, welcome visitors and support the collection for generations to come.” Not to be left behind, the University of Denver unveiled a trio of newbuildings, ranging fromLEEDGold to Platinum, including the Community Commons building, with an art gallery, lounge anda global kitchen foodhall; DimondFamilyResidential Village, providing different scales of community throughout the residen- tial hall; and the Burwell Center for Career Achievement, the first LEEDPlatinumbuilding on the DU campus. Additional public-facing project include the restoration of the U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel organ as well as an update and expansion of DIA’s B-West concourse. There’s more – the latest iteration of Designer Approved; notes on construction delivery methods; a focus on sustainable land- scape; aswell as health care and school design features. And thankfully, we inch closer to a post-5 p.m. sunset … some- thing to look forward to– in January. Here’s toahealthynewyear! Kris Oppermann Stern Publisher &Editor kostern@crej.com