Page 28 —
COLORADO REAL ESTATE JOURNAL
— June 15-July 5, 2016
Construction, Design & Engineering News
By Kris Oppermann Stern
Haselden Construction recently
helda celebrationcommemorating
the construction progress on Colo-
rado State University’s new $67
million biology building – the first
new science lab built for the biolo-
gy department inmany years. The
beam, signedbyCSUstudents and
faculty, was secured atop the struc-
ture and will remain fully visible
in the building’s eastern stairway.
The building is designed to
become a campus destinationwith
large, two-story “idea space” for
students and faculty to collabo-
rate. The new 152,000-square-foot
building will include state-of-the-
art research laboratories advancing
CSU’s nationally ranked biology
department.
“Since the building is predomi-
nantly student funded, it was very
important for the design to engage
the students and encourage their
love of science,” said project prin-
cipal Jennifer Cordes of Hord
CoplanMacht,whichdesigned the
project. “Object cases project from
the walls with glass on multiple
sides encourage viewing from all
angleswithprovoking content and
questions that create animation
and interest for repeat visitors.”
The project is pursuing a LEED
Innovation in Design credit based
upon the biophilic design elements
that incorporate nature’s patterns,
processes and evolved human-
nature relationships.
The biology building will be in
close proximity to the new chem-
istry research building. “The two
buildings together create the Sci-
ence Commons, which will be an
active outdoor space on campus,”
Cordes said.
“It’s exciting to pioneer the
first design-build project on the
campus,” stated Haselden project
manager Brent Haselden. “Both
Colorado State University and
design-build architect partner
Hord Coplan Macht have been
great to work with and the project
couldn’t be going better.”
Design-build is a delivery meth-
od where the design team and
the construction team are “tied”
together contractually.
“The design-build method has
mixed reviews from higher edu-
cation institutions across the state
and country,” Cordes said. “Many
clients love the approach because
it ensures the contractor and archi-
tect will work well together; they
picked each other!
“They also like that it allows for
a better balance of design expec-
tations and cost control because
the architect and the GC are at
the table together throughout the
process,” Cordes continued. “This
well-coordinated approach makes
the costs associated with every
design decision more transparent,
which helps manage user expec-
tations and allows campus stake-
holders to be more fully engaged
in the cost estimating process.”
Hord Coplan Macht is working
on two other design-build proj-
ects in Colorado: Quigley Hall at
Western State Colorado Univer-
sity and CSU Pueblo’s Occiatto
Center. The firm recently com-
pleted the University of Colo-
rado Colorado SpringsAcademic
Office Building at the Colorado
Springs campus.
With over 1,400 students, biol-
ogy is the largest major on CSUʼs
campus. The new building will
provide the department with
new teaching labs, research labs,
administrative/office space and
a 100-plus-person lecture room.
It will open in fall 2017.
s
Hord Coplan Macht
Hord Coplan Macht designed Colorado State University’s new biology building.
GH Phipps wrapped up reno-
vations to Runyon Elementary
School, the “well-loved” 1969
Littleton school. It had a wood-
framed structure, which began
showing signs of age as the roof
started sagging during snow-
loading events. The school quick-
ly installed post shores through-
out the school as a short-term fix
while a long-term solution was
discussed.
Listening to the community, the
Littleton Public Schools district
devised a plan that would keep
as much of the existing building
as possible while addressing a
growing list of deficiencies. GH
Phipps Construction Co. was
selected to serve as general con-
tractor.
Work included essentially
removing the roof, raising the
ceiling heights in several areas,
replacing theHVAC system, abat-
ing asbestos and correcting many
structural issues so the “existing”
building would look like new
when finished.
When work began in 2015,
Runyon students were shifted
to Whitman Elementary School.
The Phipps team also removed
mechanical equipment from indi-
vidual mechanical rooms, and
installed new commercial rooftop
equipment, as well as a fire alarm
system and sprinkler system.
The design, by Yon Tanner
Architecture, popped the tops
over the gym/cafeteria area and
over the library area, allowing
more daylight into the school.
Classrooms are now organized
into seven pods, with each pod
holding three classrooms and
restrooms. The owner’s represen-
tative was Jacobs.
In other GH Phipps news, the
firm recently earned a national
Associated General Contractors
Safety Excellence Award. It was
the third award since 2009.
The company took secondplace
in the Building Division/General
Contractor category of 400,000 to
600,000 man-hours.
The national judges based their
decisions on safety statistics; an
overview of the company’s safety
program; increased employee
involvement in safety; new pro-
grams, procedures or resources a
company uses to promote safety;
management’s commitment to
safety; and specific unique activi-
ties the company uses to promote
safety.
s
Sprocket Design-Build, the
architect and contractor for
Perry Row at Sloans, broke
ground last month at the proj-
ect site at the corner of 16th
Avenue and Perry Street.
The row homes are located
in the Sloans district (a LEED
certified district, designated
as such for its sustainability
practices and attributes) at the
former St. Anthony Hospital
Pinkard Construction Co.
recently broke ground on Sunny
Vista’s new assisted living and
memory care project, the Retreat
at Sunny Vista, in Colorado
Springs.
The Retreat at Sunny Vista is a
$10.5 million building, designed
by Lantz-Boggio Architects. It
will be two stories containing
66 units (including 38 units of
assisted living and a 28-unit
special care neighborhood for
memory-impaired residents)
and 55,000 square feet, featuring
a therapy gym, full kitchen and
dining room and secure court-
yard.
“The architectural image for
The Retreat at Sunny Vista is
based upon a classic modern
design concept founded in the
principles of midcentury mod-
ern housing,” said architect
Dennis Boggio. “Major design
features incorporated into the
project and consistent with this
style of architecture include
large, open floor plan areas,
large glass areas that connect to
outdoor spaces and low-sloped,
prairie-style roofs with exposed
structural beams. This style is
consistent with many of the
ranch homes that were built in
Colorado Springs in the mid-
century.”
According to Boggio, “Indus-
try studies indicate that long-
term care residents have better
health and satisfaction outcomes
in nonmedical, noninstitutional
environments. The architecture
is in direct response to these
industry studies.”
The classic housing image
and details of the design were
established in order to provide
a nonmedical, familiar residen-
tial persona for the project and
to reinforce the character and
image of home and family, con-
tinued Boggio. Amenity spaces
within the building were also
designed to invite family mem-
bers into the community and
into the daily life activities and
lifestyle of residents.
Thesite isacross thestreet from
SunnyVista LivingCenter’s cur-
rent skilled-nursing community,
constructed by Pinkard in 2012.
The Retreat at Sunny Vista will
be built on the site of its original
building, which operated from
1911 until 2012.
Pinkard, which is no stranger
to senior living projects, has built
25 in the past 10 years.
“A contractor who regularly
builds senior living is aware not
only of the latest code require-
ments, but will also know how
they are interpreted and applied
in various jurisdictions,” said
Pinkard’s Derek Stathis. “These
code requirements greatly affect
the design of senior communi-
ties and touch virtually every
facet of construction. Further
complicating the picture is the
fact that these codes and their
interpretation and applica-
tion are in near constant flux as
this market sector continues to
change and grow.”
Cappella Living Solutions will
provide management and oper-
ation services.
Lantz-Boggio has completed
62 senior living and care projects
in Colorado during the last 10
years.
s
Lantz Boggio Archtects
The Retreat at Sunny Vista will include large, open floor plan areas.
