A3 thoughts Blog

The new studio location for Davis Partnership Architects was recently awarded the IIDA Rocky Mountain’s BESTaward for Workplace in the category of 15,001 to 50,000 square feet. Davis Partnership is a large, multi-disciplined architectural and design firm that took on the task of renovating space in the historic Bindery Building for their new home. Just north of our office on 29^th and Blake in the River North (RiNO) Arts District, Heather and I had the opportunity to tour the studio last week.

The building has a vast history, getting its name from the old printing outfit that once occupied the building. Ink stains remain in the concrete from the major printing press and binding operation once housed there. When the printing press closed the building found several different lives, including home to the Denver Flea.  Eventually the owners of the building decided to lease the separate bays as office and commercial retail spaces. During their search for new office space, the partners at Davis Partnership fell in love with these two bays in the Bindery– for obvious reasons.

A beautiful reception desk washed in natural light and a gallery showcasing the vast works of the firm greets visitors, drawing their eyes toward the artful living wall at the termination of the entry. The concept for the space, as we learned on our tour, was known as “a series of white boxes, inserted into the architecture to define the space” and designed with the mantra “Don’t screw it up!” The space was beautiful to begin with; the natural brick was in exceptional condition, the trusses and clearstory windows highlight the history of the building, and the concrete floor provides a subdued natural backdrop for the beautiful interiors to shine.

We detail a few of the sustainable design elements Davis Partnership was able to incorporate as they crafted their new home in our next post.

—Nicole