This speculative study for Northern Colorado Regional Airport’s new terminal intertwines the architecture and site to create a sense of arrival and departure fitting of the Front Range’s unique location.

We began with the supposition that the Front Range’s sense of place is primarily about the intersection of the plains and the mountains - each strengthens the other. A simple building section expresses this intersection; a series of berms planted with native grasses restrict views of the horizon, heightening the drama of the butterfly roof form that opens to views of the plains, foothills and mountains beyond. The roof’s brief moment of compression grounds visitors to the place as they transition between flight and ground transportation.

A widening of Earhart Road to accommodate a planted median and an alleé of trees extends this arrival/departure sequence beyond the building itself, integrating it into the surrounding context.