CREJ - Building Dialogue - June 2017
hous·ing ‘houziNG/ noun, houses and apartments considered collectively op·tion ‘äpSH(e)n/ noun, a thing that is or may be chosen Well, construction is continuing at a rapid clip in our Colorado cities – from office and retail (yes, retail) to hospitality and health care. When it comes to housing – with options being built today that run the gamut from affordable to luxury – thoughtful planning and design remain top of mind. Whether it’s zoning considerations, as described by guest columnist Mark Johnson, or the addition of accessory dwelling units, which are about to become the next big thing, according to columnist Andre Baros, everyone has a stake in the outcome as our communities continues to grow. As for luxury, this quarter’s cover story delivers. Country Club Towers II and III are rising adjacent to the original Country Club property, an apartment community that has long been part of the North Washington Park neighborhood. Not only does the 34-story Broe Real Estate Group development take advantage of the spectacular views, offering floor-to-ceiling bay windows in each apartment, but also it caters to residents’ canine companions with dedicated boarding and day spa. Feature stories in this issue dive into how Tryba Architects is connecting the dots to make better cities; and how an acquisition in the middle of designing a new Boulder office didn’t throw Elsy Studios off course for a minute. We also take a look at the transformation of John Atencio stores into art galleries, the revival of Denver’s streetcar legacy and how human services were centralized in St. Vrain with an emphasis on great design. End user stories include one about Unique Properties, which transformed the former Girl Scouts headquarters on South Broadway, and another about FourPoint Energy, which built out its space in the new Cherry Creek FirstBank building. And that’s just the beginning. As Colorado continues its march forward, let’s keep the dialogue going. Kris Oppermann Stern Publisher & Editor kostern@crej.com