DENVER, CO - Architecture firm Shears Adkins Rockmore (SA+R) has announced the completion of The Grand, a new 508-unit, high-rise luxury apartment community in Downtown Denver.
“This project has taken an underutilized urban core site and turned it into an engaging and thriving place to house the City’s residents. It not only makes great strides in helping solve Denver’s desire for more downtown housing options, but also creates an urban residential neighborhood strongly connected to the downtown business community," said Kristen Rutledge, AIA, an Associate with SA+R.
SA+R provided architecture services for this new 16-story, 310,000 square foot multi-family development that boasts views of the South Platte River and downtown. With its modern, high-end appearance, the development contains 202 apartment units, on-site covered parking, and 4,000 square feet of storefront for retail and restaurant use. Residents will enjoy amenities such as a rooftop deck with incredible views, a fitness center and lounge, and a pet grooming station.
According to design firm Principal Andy Rockmore, AIA, "The architectural approach of The Grand is inspired by its industrial context. Both the Tower and the Plaza buildings are enclosed in enduring materials: masonry, glass, steel, and aluminum rendered in sharp profiles to be consistent with the natural steel assemblies surrounding the site. Furthermore, instead of a single architectural expression throughout the entire site, the Tower and Plaza Residences have their own distinctive languages. This allows for more diverse branding possibilities and provides a competitive advantage to the neighboring multifamily projects that offer a singular aesthetic."
The Grand’s urban site is transitional, sitting between Lower Downtown (LoDo), a significant development along Commons Park and adjacent to Union Station, Denver’s downtown transit center. Historically home to rail yards and elevated viaducts, it’s now surrounded by a new light rail train system, bus depot and pedestrian bridges. Given the site’s location, residents can travel by foot, bike, train, or by car. The site design creates two high-rise towers, with a private landscaped court and bike workshop at the center of the development. This space is accessed through a “woonerf”, a uniquely Dutch street-type where pedestrians and cyclists have priority over vehicles, and serves as a place for residents of both buildings to meet friends, grab a coffee, and head to the fitness center directly above.