Timeless Applications
As long-term owners of the center, Adams County requested the design and construction deliver a 100-year building while keeping initial costs down.
Throughout the building, the color palette is sourced from orchards with blossoms and hues drawn from apple reds and greens predominant on walls and accents. A faux wood ceiling in the atrium instills a sense of nature but is much lighter and much less expensive than hardwood. The lobby’s terrazzo flooring contains a pattern that appears like shadows of tree branches on the ground. The terrazzo’s no-wax finish requires only damp mopping for quick and simple maintenance.
New skylights bring daylight deep into the workspaces to improve wellbeing. Vivid murals—25 in all—computerized artistic representations of indigenous trees into abstract fractals.
“We wanted to create a timeless design with neutral colors in the foundation and allow the strong colors to pop in the furniture and art,” Hoffman says. “Combined with warm lighting levels, the design keeps the mood upbeat and envelops visitors in a comforting and inspiring environment.
Uneven Conditions
During field measurements, the team discovered the building dropped out of level by 6 inches. Because the structure’s east-west leg is 665-linear-feet long and 193-feet wide (the length of two football fields) and contained a basement, pump-jacking the foundation to make it level would have been a very expensive option. An elegant solution was to add new exterior composite metal panels with energy efficient windows. “The shop drawings from the composite metal panel company incorporate the very careful addition of mathematics in intricate dimensions from one end to the other, so that the panels absorb the discrepancy,” Ammon explains.
The 6-inch difference in level also offered challenges with the flooring. Terrazzo flooring was the design response. “Because terrazzo has a self-leveling component to it, we were able to save the client over $100,000,” Hoffman recalls. “The flooring still needed a little preparation, but it solved slope and slab issues on the interior.”
Contrary to as-built drawings, multiple renovations performed over the years left the team with several unforeseen challenges. On the building’s second level, the concrete floor was out of slope, and the team had to grind out the top inch of flooring and level it with concrete topping. A ballasted roof in very poor condition also had to be removed to install a new TPO roofing membrane, which was easier for the county to maintain.
A Place of Honor
Breaking convention with prevalent lackluster human services facilities across the country was incredibly important to Adams County. Because the people they service are in need of protection, have lost their jobs and need to find work, or need interim childcare or food assistance, citizens are often distraught when they arrive.
“There’s a perception among many public agencies’ human services that they don’t need uplifting locations to serve rundown communities, and they often don’t provide the atmosphere that all humans deserve,” Kenna says. “We are doing something innovative through this uplifting space that focuses on what we believe people can become, rather than the condition that brings them to our door.”
The county also wanted to enhance the staff experience for the center’s 750 employees. “In many cases, the staff are dealing with stressful and highly emotional situations, and the goal was to give them a workplace that supports the job itself but also give them places where they can regroup and refresh,” Hoffman notes.
DLR Group added quiet rooms away from the public flow where staff can find a comfortable chair, some solace and listen to music. Wellness rooms provide privacy for lactating moms or administering a diabetic shot. Huddle rooms/breakout spaces are ideal for small private conversations. Employees also have restrooms that are not publicly accessible, which offers a space away from the fray.
“The center makes it very clear we want to take care of our employees, as well,” says Kenna. “They do a lot for others and help us strengthen our community.”
Photos: ED LACASSE
Retrofit Team
ARCHITECT, INTERIOR DESIGN AND STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: DLR Group
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Saunders Construction, Englewood, Colo.
MEP ENGINEERING/LIFE SAFETY: BCER Engineers, Arvada, Colo.
CIVIL ENGINEER: Anderson & Hastings Consultants Inc., Lakewood, Colo.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE: Logan Simpson, Fort Collins, Colo.
Materials
TERRAZZO FLOORING: Colorado Design Inc. Tile & Terrazzo
CARPET: Tandus
FURNITURE: Knoll
TILE: Florida Tile and Daltile