Louisiana Station Redevelopment in Denver CO
Final Model Photo – View from highway
Fall 2000
One of the earliest studios I completed in my undergraduate time at the University of Colorado at Boulder, the Louisiana Station Redevelopment project was an engaging, informative, and architecturally stimulating. At this time in my educational career, my architectural “style” was very unclear, and this studio helped to define what would later be my own design development methods. Early on in my schooling I was impressed with the deconstructivist movement led by Frank Gehry, Daniel Libeskind, and others. Later, I formed what I would call a more “realistic” outlook on how buildings should be designed and constructed. I feel that buildings of this nature lack sense of place, as we have seen much of Frank Gehry’s work imply that the building could be placed anywhere in the world, where place seems to be unimportant to the internationally recognized architect.
I now have strong beliefs that context, local environmental conditions, and sense of place are critical factors that will and should influence the design of a building.
This project however demonstrates my dedication to design, production, and presentation early on in my educational career.
This studio focused on the design of a transit station with a secondary function to be implemented as a cap over part of the I25 highway in Denver Colorado. New train tracks had been placed parallel to the major north-south highway artery in downtown Denver. After spending countless hours in the neighborhood and going door-to-door to discuss the needs of local residents, the general consensus was that residents wanted more local places to shop, as that part of downtown was more automobile oriented. So I arrived at a design scheme with two major buildings, split by Louisiana ave. but connected by the train platform below. I felt that the buildings should stand out architecturally, to attract people, and as a way finding device. With the heavy exposure of the building on the highway side, I thought the building could become an iconic catalyst for future development in the district. Both buildings have high ceilings in the atrium with 2nd level terraces and ample natural light.
To see the project photos on Picasa click here