CREJ - Building Dialogue - December 2017
tem noun, a group of players forming one side in a competitive game or sport. werk noun, mental or physical activity as a means of earning income; employment. It takes a village. It actually does. I had the privilege this fall to serve as a judge for the annual American Council of Engineering Companies of Colorado’s Engineering Excellence Awards. While I was highly unqualified, it nevertheless was a thrill – yes, a thrill – to judge the amazing work Colorado’s engineering firms are doing not only here, but around the world. What really hit home, though, was what was what I took away from last month’s awards celebration: Civil engineers are the bomb. Without them, and their magical grid of cables and pipes that lies just beneath the pavement, we’d be, well, uncivilized. Electricity, water, internet service. So three cheers for our civil engineers. It’s not only our civil infrastructure, but our buildings, too. The number of participants, from lenders and city planners, to architects and developers, to engineers and contractors, to subs and so many more, is staggering. Another village. Andre Baros’ column In the Details illustrates just how many folks are involved in our commercial projects, and why they deserve thanks. A couple of other articles in this issue suggest that open offices might not be dead at all, but rather reimagined as blended work spaces. Shared spaces meet the needs of today’s workers, says Jenny West in her Moving Forward column, and they can be empowering. And if properly crafted, Venture Architecture’s Martin Goldstein says these spaces can serve as a business productivity tool. Our cover story takes a close look at downtown Denver’s newest high-rise, the multifaceted gem 1144 Fifteenth. At 40 stories, it’s the tallest office tower built in Denver since the 1980s and the latest addition from developer Hines. Equally compelling is Riverview at 1700 Platte, Trammell Crow’s South Platte addition that takes advantage of its central location and unobstructed views. Readers also will get an inside look at local design firm OZ Architecture, which has been putting its fingerprint on projects throughout the state and around the globe. December 2014 was our first issue. Three years later, it’s still the most fun I’ve ever had. So thank you, and please keep up the great work! Kris Oppermann Stern Publisher & Editor kostern@crej.com