50Fifty DTC

An existing client came to us and said, "I'm not interested in designing 'just another building'." It was at that point that we realized this would be a special project.

50 Fifty tower is a six-story office building above six levels of parking located in the Denver Tech Center. The area is historically a typical suburban office park featuring buildings set among a sea of asphalt parking lots and expansive lawns. The thriving Denver market, coupled with the site’s close proximity to the highway and light rail, has spawned a densification of the area.

Inspired by the client's love of sailing, the exterior evokes a feeling of looking over the edge of a ship to see the wake dissipate into the horizon. Inside, the design brings visitors "onto the ship," recreating the experience with a variety of marine-inspired materials, patterns, and finishes throughout.

Just as every project has its challenges, 50 Fifty was no exception. Our biggest hurdle was creating a remarkable lobby within a small footprint. The building is at its absolute maximum length, width, and height. Even so, the space wasn’t large enough for ample seating or restaurant, so we carved out purposeful areas to create a sense of place for those waiting for clients or an Uber. Throughout the design process, we designed several iterations of the lobby, and the final design and materials create a dynamic experience, utilizing a minimal palette that makes a big impression.

Virtually no changes, a hallmark of our work. We pride ourselves on selling a design vision to the client during the conceptual design stage, which we then bring to fruition throughout the subsequent phases with little variation. This job was no exception. On time and on budget, with the design vision fully maintained. This is evident in the conceptual renders and final photographs of the building.

The shifting/alternating vertical mullion system that we devised with our partners at Harmon, combined with the Sierra White Granite panels, give the building its signature look. Hunt Electric then placed lights on the exterior, at the very tip of Harmons random projected mullion caps, to further differentiate the building at night.

Email interview conducted by John Hill.