Case Studies

Project Team
Client:

Mooney Enterprises

General Contractor:

Hensel Phelps

Architect:

Clutch Design

Installer:

Harmon Inc.

50 FIFTY, a 12-story tower in Denver, Colo., is Class AAA office space — a designation it earns, in part, by having superior materials and finishes. The 185,000 square-foot building consists of five full floors of parking, six floors of open office and one double- height lobby. The elevated office floors have excellent views of the surrounding mountains and is a visible landmark for travelers on the adjacent I-25 corridor. Building amenities include co-working spaces, a fitness facility, a roof deck and a lobby with accommodation for both a financial institution and a café.

Befitting the building’s prominent location, design excellence was a priority, and handpicked granite was one of the metrics for meeting quality and performance standards.

In total, about 37,000 square feet of Coldspring granite was selected for the project. Design elements were based on the owner’s passion for sailing.

Sierra White® stone was selected for the building’s cladding. The stone features a consistent appearance, and its light color fits well with the project inspiration of nautical themes. “Sierra White is representative of the whitewater break a sailing vessel makes as it cuts through the ocean,” explains Robin Ault, Director of Design and Principal, Clutch Design Studio. Coldspring assisted with detailing and sampling various finishes of granite colors during the selection process. Members of the teams visited Coldspring’s California quarry, where they learned about plant processes and viewed the exact stone that would be used on the building. “At the plant, we met with several staff who provided a thorough education on the entire process, which was very well-received,” says Ault.

The Thermal finish delivered the slightly smooth texture the team desired. The architects worked with curtain-wall subcontractor Harmon to develop a clip system that integrated with their standard curtainwall system. Coldspring’s Mesabi Black® stone was also installed in the tower as a wall base to accentuate the building’s lightwells.

“For the landscape design, we thought about the importance of craftsmanship, such as you might find on a yacht, and we paid close attention to material fabrication and the interface between materials,” say Craig Vickers, Principal, Civitas Inc.

Mesabi Black stone with Diamond® 10 finish was used for wall cladding, copings and stair treads.

When polished, “Mesabi Black® has reflective qualities, resembling water, and where it is left unpolished, it has the stable look of earth,” says Vickers. “We didn’t want a monolithic feel for the site detailing that you might find at a courthouse or monument. Rather, we opted to detail the walls and steps in a way that would bring together multiple materials such as stainless-steel risers with granite treads and granite wall veneers combined with stainless steel and IPE wood seat decking. All were intended to capture that yacht level of craftsmanship.”  The end result was a finely crafted office building that will provide a stunning home for businesses in downtown Denver for generations to come. Success was made possible through superior collaboration among all members of the team.

“The entire process was handled very well by Coldspring without any construction conflicts or design issues,” says Ault. “We were happy to have them as part of our team for this building.”

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