Built in 1963, the 32,000-sf 200 Fillmore building in Denver housed office and retail in a drab, outdated, and energy-splurging shell—a “style” made doubly disastrous by 200 Fillmore's function as the backdrop for a popular public plaza and outdoor café called “The Beach.”
In 2005, the owner, Western Development Group, determined to pluck 200 Fillmore out from its Class C office space doldrums. To do that, a Building Team headed by the Denver office of Chicago firm 4240 Architecture came up with three goals: maximize the leasable area, improve the building's energy usage, and enhance the appearance of The Beach.
The team ran head-on into problems. First, they discovered the building already exceeded zoning limits on area, so any expansion had to stay within the building's original footprint. Their best option for expansion, then, lay in the cantilevered concrete slab that extended around the outside as part of the original façade. Field tests showed the slab could support a new exterior wall, but only one weighing less than 10 pounds per face square foot. The solution: A terra cotta rainscreen system that gave the building an inviting appearance at a low weight.
This part of the project required better-than-average organizational skills. The terra cotta tiles were not flat, nor did they have clean, straight edges. To make sure the rainscreen was installed with a 3/16-in. joint throughout, the team experimented with a full-size mockup. All this was going on even as ground-floor retail was open and the upper three floors were gutted.
Bumping up the building's energy efficiency led the Building Team to, of all places, the restrooms, which had claustrophobically low seven-foot ceilings that were constrained by undersized air handler units stored in the space above. The team junked those floor-based units in favor of one large roof unit that served the whole building. The result was not only a more efficient HVAC system, but also a person-friendly restroom design—with ceiling heights raised to eight feet.
Improvements to The Beach include tall grasses and seasonal flower landscaping that wrap around the retail and plaza edge. A new wood and steel entry canopy complements the terra cotta rainscreen and steel window treatments, while simultaneously connecting the lobby and outdoors and reducing the building's scale.
All these changes resulted in a radically different building—both inside and out. Gone is the '60s-era façade with its set-back windows framed by a mesh grille and crossed by vertical support bars. In its place are new flush windows on the second and third floors, and a balcony on the fourth floor, which is now residential space for the building's owner. Horizontal trim at the tops of the windows mimic the balcony's railing system.
The Building Team was able to accomplish this complete overhaul—from original design to completed construction—in 12 months. Although the project went $300,000 (7.5%) over the original $4 million budget, the overrun was negated by the fact that the new 200 Fillmore was fully leased on opening day.
Related Stories
Office Buildings | Oct 5, 2015
Renderings revealed for Apple's second 'spaceship': a curvy, lush office complex in Sunnyvale
The project has been dubbed as another “spaceship,” referencing the nickname for the loop-shaped Apple Campus under construction in Cupertino.
High-rise Construction | Oct 5, 2015
Zaha Hadid designs cylindrical office building with world’s tallest atrium
The 200-meter-high open space will cut the building in two.
Office Buildings | Sep 28, 2015
Simplicity and angularity define Renzo Piano’s design for Kum & Go’s headquarters
The new building is part of a downtown Des Moines, Iowa, redevelopment project, and is intended to echo the shapes of a nearby sculpture park.
High-rise Construction | Sep 3, 2015
Rafael Viñoly's 'Walkie-Talkie' tower named U.K.'s worst new building
The curved, glass tower at 20 Fenchurch Street in London has been known to reflect intense heat onto the streets below (in one instance damaging a car) and cause severe wind gusts.
Retail Centers | Aug 27, 2015
Vallco Shopping Mall renovation plans include 'largest green roof in the world'
The new owners of the mall in Cupertino, Calif., intend to transform the outdated shopping mall into a multi-purpose complex, topped by a 30-acre park.
Mixed-Use | Aug 26, 2015
Innovation districts + tech clusters: How the ‘open innovation’ era is revitalizing urban cores
In the race for highly coveted tech companies and startups, cities, institutions, and developers are teaming to form innovation hot pockets.
Office Buildings | Aug 25, 2015
JLL report: Tenant improvement key to attracting Millennials
Millennials have been the driving force behind the growth in renovation construction projects since 2013, according to JLL.
Office Buildings | Aug 24, 2015
British company OpenDesk offers open-sourced office furniture
Offices can “download” their furniture to be made locally, anywhere.
Office Buildings | Aug 24, 2015
North America’s real estate market is close to stabilization in cap rate pricing
The latest CBRE survey, covering the first half of the year, finds retail and hotel sectors experiencing the greatest compression.
Office Buildings | Aug 19, 2015
Good design can combat open-office issues
Three tricks to maintain privacy and worker production in a cube-less world, according to GS&P's Jack E. Weber