Architecture, Engineering & Planning EVstudio | Denver & Evergreen Architect | Colorado & Central Texas | Blog » Renovation

University of Denver Boettcher Center – The East Building

Matt Svoboda — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 23:25:03 +0000

The interior renovation of the Auditorium building at the University if Denver's Boettcher Center is steadily ongoing. Above you can look up to see the new metal stud partition walls that bound the newly defined upper classroom. Notice that only the minimum number of walls run all the way to the roof deck. This was done to reduce cost and allow maximum flexibility for all the new mechanical and fire protection systems up above while not sacrificing strength.

I thought this week it would be a good opportunity to take a visual inventory of some of the most interesting details inside neighboring Boettcher East. Built in 1960 as part of the whole Boettcher Center complex, East exhibits some fun details and qualities that reflect trends and attitudes of the era.

Below, a pit of white crushed rock with a large feature stone inhabit the space under the main stair. Notice how the windows extend down to this area so the stair "floats" away from the exterior wall.

Below, more stone and tile are used to create a monolithic retaining wall that guides the stairs down into the library area, which is now a research lab. The wall pushes up into the main level, emphasizing its girth but creating a major trip hazard. I love the single piece handrail that curves back down from it's required height and gracefully reconnects with the stair. Unfortunately it's another thing you simply couldn't get away with now.

Below is an example where modern design trumps practical way-finding. Two of these doors lead to large classrooms while one goes into a small storage space...can you tell which is which?

Below is the entrance to the less formal office block on the building's south end. It requires a walk down a very long, dark and uninterrupted hallway to get to this point. It's interesting how spacious and detailed the northern office area is in comparison to this space. I really like the painted numbers on the doors and the enormous door knob back plates.

Below is the waiting area before the main office block upstairs. I love the custom connections at the base of each vertical in the guardrail. Typically now you would see a horizontal low rail that caught the bottoms of the pickets and minimized the number of connections to floor, or in this case the wall. Also note the spacing of the verticals; wide enough a child could easily step through. More next week!

Construction begins on University of Denver Boettcher Auditorium

Matt Svoboda — Mon, 24 May 2010 08:00:58 +0000

Here are some first photos of the renovation project we designed that is now underway at the University of Denver's Boettcher Center Auditorium.

The Boettcher Center is a 50-year-old mini-campus of three buildings in the International Style arranged under a single flat roof about a courtyard featuring a pedestrian bridge over a rectangular pool. The auditorium is the central hexagonal building which housed a single 300+ seat lecture hall which we are dividing into 3 smaller classrooms to seat a new total of a little over 200.

One of our critical challenges was how to update a uniquely detailed space from 1960 with modern conveniences ( including accessible restrooms, powered seats and a completely new mechanical system) while maintaining the character of the original building.

In these photos you can see the skeleton of the large upper classroom's new floor extending out into the lower half of the space, and one of the triangular areas created to merge the new layout with the existing geometry.

Renovation and Update of Home in Washington Park Denver

Sean O'Hara — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:19:57 +0000

On Friday, we had the chance to view the recently completed Rawley home renovation in Denver's Washington Park neighborhood. The project is a great example of a home renovation that leaves the existing shell of the home intact while making careful revisions to provide a modern home feel.

The house is a very compact 1,500 sf. We removed many of the interior walls on the main level to allow the living room, dining area, and kitchen to flow together.

From the first meeting, the Rawley's asked about the possibility of having Sarah Susanka's "away room". We were able to convert a small addition on the house into a quiet semi-private space that doubles as the room for television watching.

The original house had one bathroom on the main level and two bedrooms upstairs. After the renovation we left a powder room downstairs. Upstairs we combined the space into a master suite with a bedroom, full bath and sitting area opening onto a deck facing the mountains.

In a compact footprint it is essential to utilize each space. The owner's desk is tucked behind the front entry, the washer and dryer are hidden in a space carved out of the attic and the space under the stairs doubles as the powder room.

This project ranks as one of my favorite small renovation projects. One of the greatest reason's for the projects success was having a great client. Mike and Sarah were interested in designing a home that met their needs rather than falling into designing what "the market wants". They were very involved with the decisions throughout the design and worked with Bob Hinz of HomeWrights on the construction.

Denver Building Department – Home Renovation Bonanza – Free Permits

evstudio — Fri, 15 May 2009 06:01:06 +0000

This information is from the Denver Building Department website:

For a limited time, June1 - 15, 2009, Denver is issuing FREE construction permits to homeowners and licensed contractors making qualified home improvements or repairs to existing one and two family dwellings, which can increase the value of the home.

The HOME RENOVATION BONANZA is offered in order to encourage the improvement of existing 1 and 2 family homes, raise property value and encourage homeowners to stay in existing homes.

A variety of home improvements are covered by the Home Renovation Bonanza, including:

Basic Interior Remodel of existing 1 or 2 Family Dwelling (existing Kitchen, Bath or Bedroom)
Basement Remodel of existing 1 or 2 Family Dwelling
Residential 1 or 2 Family Roof Covering Repair or Replacement
Wall Insulation
Replacement of water heaters
Change out central heating and air
Residential Photo Voltaic Systems
Stucco or siding home exteriors

To qualify for a FREE HOME RENOVATION BONANZA permit, the following conditions apply:

Projects in 1 and 2 family dwellings (Subject to International Residential Code) only
No new dwellings
No additions, garages, or accessory structures
Over-the-counter Quick Permits and/or 1 and 2 family walk-through plan review process only.
Permit shall be issued on the day of application
All permitted work shall be finished, inspected and approved within 180 days of permit issue
Any re-inspection fees shall apply
Permits will be issued from Downtown office only (201 W. Colfax Ave)