Denver’s recently opened Populus hotel claims title of country’s first carbon positive hotel

In downtown Denver, the recently opened Populus is the country’s first carbon positive hotel, according to the project’s general contractor, The Beck Group. Developed by Urban Villages and designed by Studio Gang, the 265-room property blends nature-inspired design with environmentally conscious hospitality.

The hotel takes its name from Populus Tremuloides, or the aspen tree, whose eye-shaped markings also inspire the structure’s distinctive façade. The hotel’s eye-like windows change in size across the building, offering more expansive views of the city at the building’s base and creating more private experiences for the rooms above. In addition, the windows’ extending “eyelids” shade the interior, reducing solar gain and improving energy performance.

With The Beck Group serving as design-assist partner for the façade, the architectural team used advanced 3D modeling with Rhino and Revit to coordinate the installation of the glass fiber-reinforced concrete panels.

To help reduce the hotel’s embodied carbon and achieve carbon positive status, the project team used insulated façade systems and GFRC rain screens and avoided onsite parking. The project’s eco-conscious construction methods include low-carbon concrete and renewable energy systems. The hotel’s green roof, designed by Superbloom Landscape Architecture, integrates native trees and vegetation. The rooftop also features a restaurant and bar.

Operated by Aparium Hotel Group, the hotel intends to plant a tree for each guest night spent there, fostering forest regeneration throughout Colorado.

Populus “showcases what can be accomplished when innovative design intersects with state-of-the-art construction. This project sets a new standard for sustainable building in the hospitality industry and represents an important milestone for what can be accomplished in Denver,” Matthew Archuletta, regional director of Beck’s Denver office, said in a statement.

On the building team:
Design architect and architect of record: Studio Gang
MEP engineer: CMTA, Inc.
Structural engineer: Studio NYL
General contractor: The Beck Group