The Colorado Health Foundation Headquarters

Category
Commercial
Size
34,000 sf
Complete
December 2016
Location
Denver, Colorado

Davis Partnership provided comprehensive design services for the new headquarters building for The Colorado Health Foundation. The Foundation is a non-profit focused on improving the health of Colorado residents by engaging in six focus areas: access to care, behavioral health, healthy behaviors, healthy children and adolescents, healthy communities and social determinants of health. With their core values in mind, their goal for the new building was to serve as a role model exemplifying health and wellness in the Colorado workplace. This goal was accomplished through the integration of architectural, landscape, interiors, lighting and signage design to create a high-performance building that promotes an active, healthy workplace. The new building features "health-positive" design and development standards by focusing on the health and wellness of visitors and employees. The term “health-positive” means that those who interact with the building will be healthier as a result. This definition was a core component for evaluation of all design decisions on this project. Healthy building attributes include active stairways, oxygen-producing interior plantings, careful attention to room acoustics, an employee café offering healthy food, a fitness area, outdoor spaces for work and exercise, bicycle facilities, and rooms for private contemplation. Careful attention has been paid to interior layouts that encourage collaboration and communication while still affording opportunities for privacy and focused work. The central location near Downtown Denver also allows for greater interaction with grantees, the Foundation’s partners and the community. The project emphasizes the concept of “replicability” of individual design elements, letting the Foundation show other companies that they too can create a workplace that supports health and wellness for employees and visitors.