Araceli’s facade unifies residential and commercial styles around high-end amenities and new opportunities in the DTC
Nearing completion at the northern end of the Denver Tech Center is a different kind of development for an area primarily associated with corporate office buildings. Araceli is a 236-unit,12-story apartment building inhabiting an odd shaped 1 ½-acre parcel that remained undeveloped through the decades that large office complexes built up around it.
The developer, Legacy Partners, saw timely opportunity for residential development in the DTC, and this forgotten parcel supplied the unexpected opportunity for a different kind of development. R. Lane Cutter, senior managing director for Legacy Partners, offered his input as I wrote this, saying: “We felt there was demand for an elevated [residential] product in the tech center, and the changes in the real estate market over the last year have not altered that thinking. The site provided an opportunity for a safe environment, comfortable design and convenience. Layer on unobstructed views of the Front Range, and we feel we have a lot to offer.”
The client saw potential in an overlooked site, potential for how the DTC can continue to develop and establish value in a market diversifying from singular investment in office towers. Araceli creates rental opportunities for professionals working in the area: people looking to live outside downtown with competitive amenities and features. KTGY had already completed two successful projects with Legacy in central Denver, and we were selected as the architect for its DTC development. We worked closely with Legacy Partners and Catamount Constructors to make an exciting move for DTC’s future.
The initial design concept arose from shape, location and topography. The wedge-shaped site, with 17 feet of grade change from one end to the other, provided a unique set of challenges. With this initial concept, we were able to leverage these site challenges to our advantage. Utilizing the grade, we concealed nearly an entire level of parking below grade. The leasing office and co-working space anchor the corner of the building at the low end of the site, and we created a dramatic 30-foot-high lobby space that acts as a lantern on the exterior.
The in-grade parking combines with the second and third levels of the concrete podium for over 300 off-street parking spaces. Parking is enclosed by a combination of punched masonry and concrete openings; perforated metal cladding along the Ulster Street frontage screens the parking while allowing for a naturally ventilated space, eliminating the need for mechanical ventilation.
The podium provides a sturdy base for the upper residential floors, which are arranged in two wings like an open book, creating a dramatic courtyard space with a pool and spa opening to the southern sun and mountains beyond. A double-height amenity lounge and 1,800-square-foot fitness center open onto the courtyard and pool on one side and an exterior yoga terrace looking toward the open space to the north on the other side. Major amenities are on the southwest corner of the building, maximizing the view from the building and providing visual interest at its most prominent corner, highlighted by facade detailing and large expanses of glazing.
The third floor and above is constructed utilizing a light gauge prefabricated structural system that was selected for speed of construction and efficiency. We used structural steel at select locations to create grand two-story spaces with wider column spacing at the key amenity spaces of the third level and at the top floor sky lounge. Above the third floor, a series of terraces breaks down the building massing and provides additional outdoor space for the residents. There is a ninth-floor amenity deck, but the most dramatic of these spaces is the sky lounge and adjacent exterior deck commanding views of the Front Range and downtown Denver to the north.
The material palette was selected to fit in with Araceli’s more commercial neighbors while clearly communicating its residential intent. The red brick of the west wing evokes traditional red brick residential architecture, while the eastern wing with its gray stucco responds more to the adjacent commercial context. A strong base and metal panel accents on both wings unify the two sides of the design. Araceli offers Denver tech center’s workers the best of both worlds in a market where office buildings must compete with the comforts of home. Now, where an empty lot stood for decades, Araceli can stand for the opportunities that must arise from a changing DTC.
