HORSEBARN
Provided: Architecture + General Contracting
Location: Denver, CO
Completed: August 2013
What has been referred to affectionately throughout the design and construction process as HORSEBARN now takes on it's new and official name, The Posner Center for International Development + Denver Urban Gardens. When Tres Birds first became acquainted with the 30,000 sf building, originally used for parking police horses in the 1800’s, there were partial roof collapses, delaminating masonry bearing walls and failing floor structures. Uncertain if the building could be salvaged, the owner, Denver Housing Authority, sensed its potential as a community resource, but needed help to interpret this vision and maximize it fully. This is where Tres Birds stepped in. What started as a building with major structural challenges has ended up a place of renewed strength, beauty and purpose as a non-profit, international development and local neighborhood hub.
Not only was the building steered away from demolition, but historical details were kept in tact as much as possible. Instead of replacing the inner skeleton with new materials, meticulous architectural surgery was done to reinforce the original structural body. Beautiful wood beams that give the space its primary shape and character were revealed under layers of dirt. Star-shaped exterior washers used to hold interior walls in place via tension were improved and increased. Reclaimed bricks were replaced where originals had deteriorated. Energy efficiency was addressed by adding insulation to the building's skin and energy efficient windows. Tons [literally] of reclaimed railroad boxcar flooring was used to install permanent work stations, conference tables, as well as movable furniture throughout the building.
As with all Tres Birds projects, access to natural daylight for each building inhabitant was emphasized. Not only does this increase health and productivity for workers, but the integration of passive solar energy reduces the building's electricity use drastically. Additional skylights and a large central atrium with diffusing light capabilities were installed to allow for light penetration throughout the entire layout of the building and during all seasons.
Beyond just a collection of offices, the DHA had very specific programming goals in place as a non-profit center and community resource. During early interviews with all known tenants, we recognized the need to consolidate individual and underutilized resources for these organizations in order to create greater operational and cost efficiencies. The space was designed to have many overlapping and common areas, available for sharing. This simple adjustment allows tenants to access the same operational resources, but with lower overhead cost. While each non-profit group has a designated and secure area, offices and work stations were designed to be social in nature, using glass for transparency. Breaking down the dichotomies of male/ female, bathrooms are unisex. Shared break rooms, a central kitchen and event space lend opportunities for informal idea exchange. While most of the non-profits stationed in the building work on international development initiatives, Denver Urban Gardens, working to alleviate local issues by empowering people to grow their own food, will comprise on third of the space.
This project represents whole head, hand and heart fulfillment for tres birds workshop as we seek to better the health of humans and natural systems through the built environment.
Client Feedback
Melissa Rummel / Real Estate & Development Program Manager / Denver Housing Auhtority
"Beyond anything else, Tres Birds was incredibly thoughtful and thorough in leading the design process. The team truly cared to learn the needs of the building's new occupants, tailoring the space in ways that simultaneously preserved the building's original form while giving it new and specific utility for the tenets. tres birds took our rough vision, refined it to work within the project parameters, and delivered the building's second life with elegance and simplicity while staying on schedule. The completion of the Horse Barn is due to unwavering dedication of the entire team, but without Tres Birds at the helm to guide the design-build transformation the project would not be the award-winning success story that it is."
Michael Buchenau / Executive Director / Denver Urban Gardens
"Working with Tres Birds on the Horsebarn was an exceptional experience. tres birds staff provided an amazing level of engaging effort from their creative visioning for this shared facility, to the complex space planning, through the very last details of construction execution. They were consistently receptive to our input and always made themselves available to solve any and all issues. In the end, they created a beautifully simple and compelling space that DUG expects to call home for many years to come. Many thanks to Mike, Aaron, and Cam and to everyone behind the scenes at Tres Birds, for a job extremely well done!
Photography: Brooks Freehill / Mike Moore
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Location: Denver, CO
Completed: August 2013
What has been referred to affectionately throughout the design and construction process as HORSEBARN now takes on it's new and official name, The Posner Center for International Development + Denver Urban Gardens. When Tres Birds first became acquainted with the 30,000 sf building, originally used for parking police horses in the 1800’s, there were partial roof collapses, delaminating masonry bearing walls and failing floor structures. Uncertain if the building could be salvaged, the owner, Denver Housing Authority, sensed its potential as a community resource, but needed help to interpret this vision and maximize it fully. This is where Tres Birds stepped in. What started as a building with major structural challenges has ended up a place of renewed strength, beauty and purpose as a non-profit, international development and local neighborhood hub.
Not only was the building steered away from demolition, but historical details were kept in tact as much as possible. Instead of replacing the inner skeleton with new materials, meticulous architectural surgery was done to reinforce the original structural body. Beautiful wood beams that give the space its primary shape and character were revealed under layers of dirt. Star-shaped exterior washers used to hold interior walls in place via tension were improved and increased. Reclaimed bricks were replaced where originals had deteriorated. Energy efficiency was addressed by adding insulation to the building's skin and energy efficient windows. Tons [literally] of reclaimed railroad boxcar flooring was used to install permanent work stations, conference tables, as well as movable furniture throughout the building.
As with all Tres Birds projects, access to natural daylight for each building inhabitant was emphasized. Not only does this increase health and productivity for workers, but the integration of passive solar energy reduces the building's electricity use drastically. Additional skylights and a large central atrium with diffusing light capabilities were installed to allow for light penetration throughout the entire layout of the building and during all seasons.
Beyond just a collection of offices, the DHA had very specific programming goals in place as a non-profit center and community resource. During early interviews with all known tenants, we recognized the need to consolidate individual and underutilized resources for these organizations in order to create greater operational and cost efficiencies. The space was designed to have many overlapping and common areas, available for sharing. This simple adjustment allows tenants to access the same operational resources, but with lower overhead cost. While each non-profit group has a designated and secure area, offices and work stations were designed to be social in nature, using glass for transparency. Breaking down the dichotomies of male/ female, bathrooms are unisex. Shared break rooms, a central kitchen and event space lend opportunities for informal idea exchange. While most of the non-profits stationed in the building work on international development initiatives, Denver Urban Gardens, working to alleviate local issues by empowering people to grow their own food, will comprise on third of the space.
This project represents whole head, hand and heart fulfillment for tres birds workshop as we seek to better the health of humans and natural systems through the built environment.
Client Feedback
Melissa Rummel / Real Estate & Development Program Manager / Denver Housing Auhtority
"Beyond anything else, Tres Birds was incredibly thoughtful and thorough in leading the design process. The team truly cared to learn the needs of the building's new occupants, tailoring the space in ways that simultaneously preserved the building's original form while giving it new and specific utility for the tenets. tres birds took our rough vision, refined it to work within the project parameters, and delivered the building's second life with elegance and simplicity while staying on schedule. The completion of the Horse Barn is due to unwavering dedication of the entire team, but without Tres Birds at the helm to guide the design-build transformation the project would not be the award-winning success story that it is."
Michael Buchenau / Executive Director / Denver Urban Gardens
"Working with Tres Birds on the Horsebarn was an exceptional experience. tres birds staff provided an amazing level of engaging effort from their creative visioning for this shared facility, to the complex space planning, through the very last details of construction execution. They were consistently receptive to our input and always made themselves available to solve any and all issues. In the end, they created a beautifully simple and compelling space that DUG expects to call home for many years to come. Many thanks to Mike, Aaron, and Cam and to everyone behind the scenes at Tres Birds, for a job extremely well done!
Photography: Brooks Freehill / Mike Moore
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