View of Poudre Garage looking west across downtown Fort Collins, to Horsetooth Mountain.

““They managed to design a brand new wing honoring the historic portion and its origin. We are truly pleased with how the project turned out. This building is not only an investment but it is also our personal office. It is a delight to work in such a beautiful space and we get compliments on it from clients all the time.””

— Tricia Diehl, Project Manager and co-owner

The Poudre Garage, a renovation and addition to an historic U.S. Forest Service garage building originally built in 1936-37, has received the Downtown Colorado Inc. (DCI) Governor’s Award for Downtown Excellence during a virtual conference event held last week.

The Governor’s Award recognizes exemplary commitment to the formation of projects which enhance and encourage the integrity and potential of an area. Winning projects positively impact the local community through commitment to the downtown, larger plan of the community, and overall culture and nature of the community where it resides.

[au]workshop are quite pleased that DCI recognized the extra effort that was taken to make the Poudre Garage a great addition to the street, the neighborhood and downtown Fort Collins.

We strove to make the addition compatible with the original building and context without imitating the existing materials and style.

The original building was built as a Forest Service supervisor’s warehouse, combining administrative and vehicle maintenance functions. As the building aged and USFS needs changed, it underwent a series of modifications. The art-deco garage doors were replaced with fixed glazing, and other openings were filled when the USFS converted the building to office uses, before selling the property in 1995. Various alterations made the building ineligible for the National Register, yet it retained the majority of its historic character and was designated a local landmark in 1997.

The Poudre Garage addition takes its design cues from the art-deco styling, existing massing, and materiality of the original building, carefully acknowledging its historic neighbors while optimizing a highly constrained urban infill site. A symmetrical art-deco-inspired design concept helps the addition remain compatible with the original garage, while using contemporary materials and detailing to avoid imitation and distinguish itself from the historic construction.

The project adds six loft-style apartment units to the site, increasing the neighborhood’s sense of security and walkability, and replaces existing surface parking with concealed spaces. The roof of the historic building is utilized as exterior living areas for the units, activating the building facade.

We worked closely with the client throughout the process, as the building was, and remains, the home of their business. The ground level interior was reconfigured for office and commercial uses, including the client’s offices, that activate the street. The exterior of the historic garage was also restored, with non-original storefront replaced with glazed garage-style doors that provide a hint of its former use, while increasing transparency and porosity.

The Poudre Garage also recently received a design Award of Distinction from the Colorado Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

You can see additional images at the project page, and view the awards submission here.

View along Remington street, with restored sconces and new overhead storefront doors visible.

EXTERIOR MURALS, GRAPHIC DESIGN, AND SCULPTURES

In the last of our three posts on local artwork within and surrounding the project, we are examining the murals and sculptures on the exterior of the project. See parts one and two for more information on Willow Street Plaza and the building interior.

For residential and commercial unit availability, please see confluencefc.com. All of the works below are freely accessible during the day, so please be sure to come visit in person!

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Untitled, Tony Zellaha, Color Pusher: Making Art + murals + paintings + illustrations + chalkart in Denver, Colorado

• Paint on concrete

• This one-hundred-foot-long mural stretches along the Poudre Street garage wall, brightening an otherwise blank area with imagined plants, fish and animals that inhabit the confluence of two rivers.

• Contracted through Nine Dot Arts

“Zellaha’s signature fine lines of gradually shifting colors give an otherworldly depth to each element, while the texture of the concrete is allowed to shine through.”

Completed Mural - Detail

Detail view.

Completed Mural - Overall

Overall view.

Completed Mural - Detail

Detail view of bird and river.

Completed Mural - Detail

Detail view of butterfly interacting with building drain with remainder of mural behind.

Overall Elevation

Partial elevation of Building 3 with mural below at garage level.

Elevation Panorama

With mural at ground level and units above.

Study Sketches

Pencil line work for final proposal. Courtesy of Nine Dot Arts.

Color Studies

Color detail studies for final proposal. Courtesy of Nine Dot Arts.

Untitled, Allie Ogg, Illustrator, Designer & Maker

• Paint on concrete

• A confluence of colorful leaves and moths provide a long-axis focal point and a splash of color to the courtyard, while preserving the raw texture of the bare concrete.

• [au]workshop worked directly with Allie to choose from several concepts relating to the nearby river, and to explore how the work would engage with the concrete surface of the second level courtyard wall.

• See additional process images and a time-lapse video of the painting in the gallery below.

“The overlapping colors produce multiple layers of depth ala Rowe and Slutzky’s ‘phenomenal’ transparency, with literally transparent portions allowing the texture of the raw concrete to shine through.”

Completed Mural

At rear exit of courtyard.

Three Concepts

During initial planning phase.

Mockup of Selected Scheme

Final proposal before addition of moths.

Mockup Study in Situ

Photoshopped onto the wall during construction.

Wall and Paint Texture

Detail view of the overlapping colors producing ‘phenomenal transparency’ ala Rowe and Slutzky, with literally transparent portions allowing the texture of the raw concrete to shine through.

Overall Completed Mural

Between Buildings 1 and 2.

Allie Ogg Timelapse

Over three days of painting with some pauses for weather and a few camera malfunctions.

Completed Mural from Courtyard

With unit porches in foreground.

View from Courtyard

Ogg’s friendly shapes and vivid colors provide a vibrant focal point at the end of the courtyard axis.

Confluence Ghost Sign and project directional signage, [au]workshop architects + urbanists, painted by Daniel Crosier

• Paint wash on cedar siding, paint on steel

• The “weathered” project name sign in the Confluence Entry Court echoes the historic “ghost signs” of downtown that have faded with time, with the hope that age will bring additional patina and character to the piece. After a series of experiments to determine the appropriate technique and final location, Daniel Crosier executed the final piece.

• The entry is also highlighted by brightly colored address and directional signs designed by [au]workshop.

““Signs are social. They identify, direct, and decorate.
In a world full of uniform and unimaginative
advertising, ‘ghost signs’ contain the originality and
history that others lack. “”

— City of Fort Collins Historic Preservation

'Ghost Sign' from the 'Prow'

Looking out from the courtyard, with the weathered mural appearance visible.

Entry Court

With orange building signage and ghost sign visible.

Ghost Sign from the Courtyard

With Ranchway Feeds visible beyond.

Entry Court

With orange building signage and ghost sign visible.

Untitled, [au]workshop architects + urbanists (to be installed Fall, 2020)

• Waterjet-cut weathering steel sculpture with integrated downlighting. [au]workshop went through many iterations of the design to arrive at the final piece.

• The text describes the impressions one of the Poudre River Valley’s early anglo-european visitors. Ansel Watrous’ (a local historian) 1911 book, “History of Larimer County, Colorado” includes excerpts of a letter sent in 1852 by one J.R. Todd, who was moving west from Iowa. Ansel Watrous’ own writing tends to be somewhat dry and pragmatic, but Todd is expansive on the beauty of the Cache la Poudre river basin:

• Speaking directly to the beauty of the river banks, as well as to its relationship with ongoing human development, this passage invites visitors to ponder their place in our shared history.

• Fabrication by Hueber Industries

• Additional funding by the Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority; the sculpture is sited within a public easement in the Confluence Entry Court.

““Its waters were full of trout of the speckled or mountain variety. The undulating bluffs sloped gently to the valley which was carpeted with the most luxuriant grasses. It was in June, the mildest and most beautiful part of the summer in the western country, when the days were pleasant, the nights cool and mornings crisp and bracing. The sky was scarcely ever obscured by clouds, and its vaulted blue, golden tinted in the morning and evening, was like a dream of beauty. Not an ax had marred the symmetry of the groves of trees that lined the banks. Not a plow, or spade, or hoe had ever broken its virgin soil. Wild flowers of the richest hue beautified the landscape, while above all towered the majestic Rocky Mountains to the westward of the valley, like the grim sentinels they are, ever watching, watching and noting this advancing vanguard of civilization.””

— -J.R. Todd, From Ansel Watrous' 'History of Larimer County, Colorado'

Sculpture - Evening

Internal illumination test with Maxwell Render. Orientation of final sculpture revised.

Sculpture - Day

Lighting study in Maxwell Render testing text legibility without internal illumination.

In Process...

Waterjet cut and welded core-ten sculpture ready for installation, expected November 2020.

Final Shop Drawings

Courtesy of Hueber Industries.

Early Axonometric Study

Of vision for two-sided sculpture, with translucent laminated glass for internal illumination.

Early Vision Rendering

Internally illuminated two-sided sculpture with laminated glass.

Study Models

Of the revised sculpture form.

Sculpture - Evening

Internal illumination test with Maxwell Render. Orientation of final sculpture revised.

INTERIOR MURALS, PRINTS, AND WALLCOVERINGS

In part two of our three-post series on local artwork within and surrounding the project, we are examining the interior. The building offers three unique art and graphic experiments that differentiate the levels and offer unique perspectives on our place.

For residential and commercial unit availability, please see confluencefc.com. While these works are on the interior and not accessible to the public, please get in touch with the residential sales team at The Group to schedule a tour, or you can currently visit the sales office on the ground floor of the project, facing Linden Street.

Find part one of the series here.

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Confluence, Daniel Crosier, Visual Artist

• Paint on drywall in the building’s shared mail room and elevator lobby, at the courtyard level.

• [au]workshop worked directly with Dan to arrive at a concept that took advantage of the wall’s unique shape and spoke to the beauty of the river habitat. The final concept explores an imaginary boundary between the river and its bank and the flora and fauna that inhabit it.

• This space is on the property line, and as such is not permitted to have any unprotected openings, but glass block here provides a welcome natural light that adds additional dimension to the piece.

“Rendered in vivid blue paint, Dan’s signature linework breathes movement and depth into each subject in the mural. ”

Completed Mural

View of ‘river’ side from elevator.

Completed Mural

View of ‘land’ side from entry door and mail area.

Timelapse

Of Dan’s painting in progress.

Early Sketch

Sketch concept of the river and trees.

Refined Concept

With tree roots and the cut-through/sectional characteristics emerging.

Completed Mural - Detail

Showing the fine texture of the piece.

Various, Steve Keating, Fine Art Photographer

• In searching for a cohesive art program for the Building 1 corridors and the entry lobby, we landed on aerial fine-art photographs from local artist Steve Keating. We selected images together from his collection, each featuring a kind of ‘confluence;’ literally a meeting of two rivers in one image, but a merging of roads and shadows in others.

• Steve’s images are taken from a kite, with no knowledge about what he is capturing, which introduces a lovely sense serendipity to these ‘confluences.’ You can read more about the process on his website.

• The prints are archival pigment photographic print under lamination on metallic paper on board. The metallic paper, in particular, adds light and sheen to contrast the slate wall of the elevator lobby, while remaining highly visible and preventing glare. The lamination can be wiped clean (ideal for a shared corridor) and also adds UV protection.

• The frameless mounting with white edge banding is a very clean look and we feel fits well with the architecture.

“​I lift the camera with a kite and walk it around with absolutely no idea as to what the camera is seeing and have no control over what is being captured. This is by intention as I don’t need to know what’s going on. It is a demonstration of letting go of control, or having faith. The only guidance I give the kite is to adjust the height, position it by walking around and keep it from blowing away. That’s all that needs to be done. ”

— Steve Keating

Entry Lobby - Clay Beach 1

One of Steve’s literal confluences, this larger print (36”x36”) provides a focal point to help draw the viewer into the main elevator lobby.

Level 2 Corridor

Orange Pond 4 (24”x24”)

Bright orange salt ponds are set against the distinct green unit entry doors.

Level 3 Corridor

White Sands 1, (24"x24")

One of Steve’s more minimal pieces, two shadows of sand dunes merge as delicate lines.

Level 4 Corridor

Orange Pond 1, 24"x24"

Near the entry to the Community Space, this image of two roads merging between vivid salt ponds is a subtle declaration of community.

N/A, Erik Cox, Wise Ape Design Agency

• Large scale selective reproductions of engravings by ornithologist John James Audubon depict birds and the environments they inhabit. As the project, and the River District in general, straddle the line between the developed and more natural worlds, it seemed appropriate to bring some human observations of nature to the project.

• The highly magnified scale of the prints brings the incredible detail of Audubon’s engravings to the fore. Prints were selected to work with the carpet and paint colors chosen for the space.

• A different print on each floor is visible immediately as the elevator opens, giving each level a unique identity.

  Heavy-duty 3M vinyl, printed and applied by Action Signs, should keep these prints in perfect condition for years to come.

“As I grew up I was fervently desirous of becoming acquainted with Nature.”

— John James Audubon

Level 2 Corridor

Level 4 Corridor

Level 4 - Detail

Level 2 Corridor

Level 3 Corridor

Level 4 Community Space

Level 4 Corridor

As part of its engagement with its place, Confluence and the adjacent plaza feature works by a number of noted Colorado artists. [au]workshop was thrilled to be able to collaborate directly with a number of the the artists, and in other cases we learned a great deal from being on the stakeholder side in discussions with local arts agencies.

Below is part one our three-post series on these works, focused on the plaza. In the coming weeks we will examine the works within and on the building itself.

For residential and commercial unit availability, please see confluencefc.com, and please be sure to come visit Oak Street Plaza in person!

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River-focused works IN WILLOW STREET PLAZA

Although it feels like a part of Confluence, with expansive storefronts opening directly onto the plaza, and Tivoli lighting that ties directly to the building, the Willow Street Plaza is a City of Fort Collins project, designed by local landscape architecture firm BHA Design. The space houses two intertwined works with links to the Poudre River habitat and the historic Mill Race:

In Praise of the Poudre, Andy Dufford, Chevo Studios

• A series of four granite sculptures, ranging from 8’-15’ tall, with aluminum mesh panels that house internal lighting. There are three distinct finishes to each monolith: bush-hammered (rough), flamed (medium), and polished (smooth and glossy). The polished surfaces feature relief carvings of local flora and fauna.

• From City of Fort Collins Art in Public Places: “Artist Andrew Dufford and Chevo Studios worked with the City of Fort Collins Engineering and Utilities Departments as part of the Art in Public Places Program to develop a series of sculptures that enliven the plaza and educate visitors about water quality and natural water systems in Fort Collins.”

• See more on the very challenging carving and placement process (granite is heavy!) at City of Fort Collins Art in Public Places’ website.

“Four undulating granite columns feature relief carvings of the plants, animals, insects and landforms found around, within, and below the Cache la Poudre River – celebrating the elements of a healthy river ecosystem.”

— City of Fort Collins Art In Public Places

Plaza Works - Dusk

Life-Source; With Intention (on ground) and In Praise of the Poudre (vertical sculptures) visible in the Willow Street Plaza at dusk.

In Praise of the Poudre - Detail

Detail view of internal lighting.

Plaza Works - Night

Life-Source; With Intention (on ground) and In Praise of the Poudre (vertical sculptures) visible in the Willow Street Plaza after dark.

In Praise of the Poudre

Close-up view of two of the four granite monoliths.

Plaza Works - Afternoon

Life-Source; With Intention (on ground) and In Praise of the Poudre (vertical sculptures) visible in the Willow Street Plaza in late afternoon.

In Praise of the Poudre - Detail

Detail view of river environment engravings designed for interactivity. Three distinct granite finishes visible.

Life-Source; With Intention, BHA Design

• LED computer controlled lighting in custom ceramic and glass raceways.

• From BHA Design: “Lights underfoot evoke mingling waters along the area’s original millrace that once fed a mill waterwheel east of Confluence (now known as Ranch-Way Feeds). This art is a broad look at our relationship with the river over time and how it has changed from the driving source of our settlement to now a resource we shape for our needs. In this interpretation, it’s hard to tell if the lights influenced the planters, or the other way around, much like our built edge adjacent the river.”

“[...] it’s hard to tell if the lights influenced the planters, or the other way around, much like our built edge adjacent the river.”

— BHA Design

Willow Street Plaza Aerial - Dusk

With Life-Source; With Intention (illuminated curves on ground) and In Praise of the Poudre (vertical sculptures) visible.

Willow Street Plaza Aerial - Day

With Life-Source; With Intention (white curves on ground) and In Praise of the Poudre (vertical sculptures) visible.

Willow Street Plaza - Dusk

With Life-Source; With Intention (illuminated curves on ground) and In Praise of the Poudre (vertical sculptures) visible.

Willow Street Plaza - Day

With Life-Source; With Intention (white curves on ground) and In Praise of the Poudre (vertical sculptures) visible. Tracing one of the lines on the ground has quickly become the chosen route through the plaza for children and adults alike.

Willow Street Plaza and Confluence

Aerial showing their mutually beneficial relationship.

The renovation of the Food Bank for Larimer County's new Headquarters and Distribution Center on Wright Drive is under way! Dohn Construction has completed selective demolition of the interior to make way for a new kitchen, volunteer areas, and offices, along with cleaning up and re-cladding portions of the exterior. As is always true of the construction process, it may not look like much yet, but we're excited to see it progress!

Exterior Re-Cladding

Stripped down and ready for a new life!

Future Volunteer Work Area

Featuring stacked shipping containers!

Future Central Stair

Many of the original partitions are to remain, but the interior look and feel of this space  are already beginning to be completely transformed.

After collecting the required 12 months of real-world energy use data, the City of Fort Collins Utilities Administration Building (UAB) at 222 Laporte has received an Energy Star Score of 100! Stu Reeve, the CoFC Energy Manager, called it "Exciting news! [...] Pretty impressive for the first year of operation."

The LEED Platinum building features a 100 KW rooftop solar array, extensive and careful daylighting, recycled and local materials, and a heat pump mechanical system. These systems are also engineered to tie-in with future projects as the city develops a civic campus. You can see photos and find more information at the project's page.

Confluence was featured prominently Sunday in the Business section of the Coloradoan, in a feature on buildings that are reshaping Fort Collins, alongside other projects that are revitalizing the River District. We've received lots of positive feedback on the article, so thank you! If you haven't read it yet, you can find it at the Coloradoan's website, or if you'd like more information on the project, check out our project page or go straight to the Confluence site. 

Presales are going on now, with units going fast!

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The recently completed Utilities Administration Building was awarded LEED Platinum in a ceremony today. We're quite excited about the designation, as speakers presented it as the first building in Colorado (and only the third in the country and fourth in the world) to be awarded Platinum under the new LEED v4 standard for new construction. 

Platinum was the City of Fort Collins' target from the inception of the project, and we were pleased to be able to work so closely with the City and RNL to meet that target.

Congratulations, City of Fort Collins! And thank you for helping to lead the charge on sustainability!

April is Colorado Architecture Month, an as part of the festivities, we were asked by AIA Colorado to put together something to demonstrate what a day in the life of an architect in Fort Collins is like. After a good deal of head-scratching, Spencer through together a .gif (below) documenting the most important aspects of architecture life: coffee, mouse-clicks, and custom desktop backgrounds. 

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A day in the life of [au]workshop.

Spencer also provided a few slightly verbose answers to some of AIA Colorado's questions, which they understandably didn't have room for, so we've reproduced them here:

What do you enjoy most about being an architect? An architect in Northern Colorado?

I love lots of aspects of my job (drawing all day, working with great people, a sense of play in the things we do) but I think the thing I enjoy most is the chance to think about and directly affect part of the world that is so important but so hidden in plain sight.

Architecture and the urban environment have a huge impact on where and how we live and work and play and gather and discuss; they form perhaps our largest collective experiences and endeavors. But a big part of their power is that they exist in the background, silently keeping us warm and dry, shaping space and activity while we go on about our days.

I find it really rewarding to be able to help shape that background, and I feel privileged to get a view into a part of the world that goes largely unnoticed.

Northern Colorado is an interesting example of this. As Fort Collins continues to grow, I think the quality of urban space and architectural design is becoming more frequently discussed and more highly valued, both in the form of traditional downtown urbanism and in new architectures unique to our context. This is of course a boon for us as architects, as it allows a greater public investment in and engagement with our work. That said, I think architecture and urban design will always remain somewhere below the surface of the public consciousness, which I think is appropriate.

What has been your favorite project to work on? (It would be great to have a photo to go with this!)

I’ve really enjoyed working on our smaller, more local projects (405 Linden, Confluence, Block One) as it’s incredibly rewarding to see the real-world results of your work.

My favorite project, though, might be 1500 Kapiolani, in Honolulu. Honolulu is a super interesting context for the extremity of the relationship between the ocean, mountains, and city, which is highly pertinent to Northern Colorado as well. I’m also quite infatuated with the mirrored relationship between the two towers, both as a massing and an experience.

The part I’ve really enjoyed about working on it has been the development of the very simple, elegant diagram into this very messy and complicated series of functional requirements and front and back of house relationships; developing a sketch into a working building while keeping the essence of the sketch. To me, that’s what architecture is about, so I’m thrilled to get a chance to put it into practice. 

We're thrilled to be able to contribute to Architecture Month again, and we look forward to participating again next year!

The City of Fort Collins Utilities Administration building is now complete! Please check out our project page for professional photos and more, and be sure to see our previous post for additional images.

Out standing in the field at Crozier Mountain.

We believe it's important to take a step back from time to time; gain a little distance, re-evaluate. With that in mind, we whisked the office up to Glen Haven for a 24 hour whirlwind of spirited discussion, goal-setting, and bonding. We accomplished a lot, but we'll leave ourselves a little more time next year.

In the meantime, back to work!