Architecture

An evening celebration: ENVD Open House

Sierra Brown — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 19:31:57 +0000

An evening celebration: ENVD Open House Sierra Brown Wed, 12/18/2024 - 12:31

Faculty and students decked the halls of the Environmental Design building with a semester’s worth of design work, highlighting architecture, environmental product design, landscape architecture, and sustainable planning and urban design from all class levels. The ENVD Open House on Dec. 13 marked the sixth iteration of the building-wide exhibit.

Couldn’t make it this year? Browse through the photo gallery.

The ENVD Open House on Dec. 13, marked the sixth iteration of the building-wide exhibit.

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Designing with history: students take on Rocky Mountain Land Library site

Sierra Brown — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 03:57:35 +0000

Designing with history: students take on Rocky Mountain Land Library site Sierra Brown Mon, 12/16/2024 - 20:57

Sierra Brown

Nestled among the willow-lined banks of the South Platte River, the Buffalo Peaks Ranch in Park County, Colorado has witnessed many chapters of human history.

Over the past few centuries, the land changed hands repeatedly from the traditional territories of indigenous communities to the invasion of miners and settlers; from an immigrant family’s homestead to a thriving livestock operation; from a bustling railroad hub to a stopover for a gang of stagecoach robbers.

Today, the ranch is relatively quiet—perfect, some might say, for a library.

Established as a non-profit in 1986, the Rocky Mountain Land Library (RMLL) is a network of land-study centers located along the banks of the South Platte River, from the headwaters of South Park to the metro-Denver plains. What began as a personal collection has expanded to a library of over fifty thousand volumes of literature from across the world. The curated collection includes everything from wildlife sketches to cowboy novels to western historical accounts, with a predominant focus on the natural history, landscape and communities of the Rocky Mountain region.

With the help of students from the intermediate architecture Rocky Mountain Land Library studio, taught and led by Teaching Professor Marianne Holbert, a portion of this extensive collection may find its home somewhere in the scattered and semi-structurally sound buildings and barns of the Buffalo Peaks Ranch.

The ranch, however, strives to be more than just a 9,200-foot-high library. According to its 2023 Master Plan, development on the site, which was leased to RMLL by the City of Aurora and Park County to preserve its historic integrity, aims to produce a residential library back home in Colorado, one that celebrates people, land and nature. A place where people could learn from both the books, and the surrounding lands.

This means providing ample housing for visiting artists, opening field sites for researchers, creating shared spaces for classes and community workshops and integrating multiple library nooks scattered throughout. To help restore existing buildings for adaptive reuse and expand facilities with respect to the natural landscape, RMLL leadership turned to consulting teams, including ENVD architecture students.

“It was so much different from any other project we've had,” Andy McMahon (ENVD’25) explained. “The site was massive, and it was very much historically rooted. You’d see a fence and they're like, ‘oh, that fence has been there a hundred years.’ It was pretty daunting.”

Out on the ranch, students engaged in extensive site analysis work, wandering the uneven trails, weaving in and out of corrals and taking in the expansive views of the Rockies. They noted environmental conditions and potential climate-related hazards, deepened their understanding of the land’s history, and identified the specific needs and potential of the site. The course culminated in proposals that reflected students’ interests and personal connections to the site.

Kinsey Anger (ENVD’25), another student from the course, took the opportunity to reimagine the cement horse corrals into a wellness retreat supplementing the library, complete with reading rooms and artistic programming.

“Some of the themes for my design were based in indigenous history. I looked at the Ute tribe that occupied the land first, so I used cultural ideas of circular systems in connection with the land and land as a medicine,” she said. “I programmed the horse barn to be a wellness cafe where they could use plants that have been historically prevalent on the site. A bear root latte for example.”

McMahon’s proposal took a more direct approach. His plan was focused around developing the lambing barn cluster into a co-working space and library expansion. He emphasized connecting themes of cross-pollination, community and land appreciation. “The landscape is so apparent there. Really connecting the building with the land in terms of views, capturing an indoor-outdoor feel, but also using natural materials,” he said. “I used stone and mass timber to make it feel like it was blended into the landscape.”

The students shared that retrofitting a remote, weather-impacted and mostly decrepit cluster of structures came with its own unique set of challenges. While the RMLL has invested more than $100,000 in stabilization and restoration of three existing buildings, the dream of a residential learning library has a long way to go.

“The site was pretty worn down. The lambing barn that I was working around, we couldn't even go in because it wasn't structurally stable. You're trying to place a building basically on a blank canvas,” McMahon said.

However, the challenges provided the future designers with practical experience, something that’s often hard to find within the confines of a classroom. They expressed how the complexities of the site encouraged them to think more holistically and intentionally about all aspects of their designs.

"It was kind of like a simulation into real life design,” Anger said. “I'm really glad for this trial run.”

While it’s unlikely that the Rocky Mountain Land Library will be able to implement the exact floor plans of the students’ designs at the Buffalo Peaks Ranch, the ideas and perspectives shared between the students and RMLL stakeholders marks an important step in shaping its next chapter.

Architecture students in the Rocky Mountain Land Library (RMLL) studio spent the semester developing design proposals for Buffalo Peaks Ranch in Park County, Colorado.

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Two majors come together for cross disciplinary collaboration

Allyson Maturey — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 19:28:26 +0000

Two majors come together for cross disciplinary collaboration Allyson Maturey Tue, 10/22/2024 - 13:28

For the first time, students from the Fundamentals of Planning & Urban Design (1140) and Fundamentals of Architecture (1120) studios came together for an interdisciplinary interaction. During this session, 1140 students presented their studio project plans and visions, allowing 1120 students to select a public building to be designed as part of their studio work. This collaboration highlights the unique role that interdisciplinary education plays at ENVD.

Second-year architecture and sustainable design and urban planning students came together for an interdisciplinary interaction.

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Students propose design interventions for historical area in Syracuse, Sicily

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 19:58:58 +0000

Students propose design interventions for historical area in Syracuse, Sicily Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 09/24/2024 - 13:58

In the tenth iteration of the Rome Global Seminar, Environmental Design students embarked on a summer field course, exploring the rich culture and historic urban landscapes of both Rome and Syracuse, Italy. The immersive studio challenged students to examine how cultural, behavioral and environmental factors shape the built environment. Through lectures, studio exercises, sketching sessions and exchanges, participants gained hands-on experience in urban site analysis and design.

Design abroad offers an incredibly rich opportunity to reflect on cultural practices of both one’s home country and those visiting. The lens of one whose is not embedded in a culture of place can sometimes highlight or verbalize qualities that those who live there daily have become so accustomed to that they no longer see. New eyes or fresh eyes can often make acute observations that residents may have become veiled.

In summer 2024, the Urban Site Analysis and Design Global Seminar, taught by Teaching Professor Marianne Holbert focused its course on both Rome and Sicily.

In this studio, the new perspectives from the University of Colorado Boulder’s Program in Environmental Design students are informing urban planning decisions in Ortigia Sicily.

The students began the course with an investigation of markets in Rome to better comprehend the cultural facets of market life in Italy. This thread of cultural exchange through market life carried from both Rome to Sicily. The students began with four weeks in Rome taking Layers of Rome, an architectural history walking course, gaining direct contact with built structures, urban infrastructures and monuments to learn more about the urban evolution of the city. Freehand sketching, drawing and urban analysis were integral to both the studio course and the layer course.

Students in Holbert’s global seminar began research on their project site in Syracuse, Sicily, which resulted in design proposals for the town of Ortigia. The proposals ranged in disciplines from urban design, planning, architecture, landscape architecture and environmental product design. The design proposals also highlighted elements that local architects are now in discussion with the local municipality for possible realization.

Location:
A small island called Ortigia in Italian off the coast of Syracuse in Sicily, Città Vecchia (Old City) of Syracuse. The island has a unique history with the passage between Greeks and was founded by the Corinthians between 734-733 BC. Its position on the Ionian Sea made it strategic for navigation and power. The island is surrounded by the Ionian Sea and its rocky cliffs and beaches.

There are two small bridges that provide access to the island. Upon arrival one is greeted with mayhem of tourist stations, bicycle tourist stations, a temple and the Historic Ortigia Street Market, the farmer’s market by the sea.

The Ancient Ortigia Market Structure:
The Ancient Market Building is a historical structure dating from the 1890s and designed to be the market structure. It was designed by Edoardo Troja, an engineer of the Municipal Technical Office. The internal rectangular courtyard has an ornamental fountain in the middle and a portico with 24 arches surrounded by shops. In 2000, the structure was renovated for historical re-use.

Temple of Apollo:
The building of the historic market structure is situated across from the ancient Greek Doric structure from 6th Century B.C., the Temple of Apollo, constructed as a prototype for the Parthenon in Greece.

Proposal Scope(s):
Project proposals range in size and scope with approaches varying from urban planning, architecture, landscape architecture and/or environmental product design interventions. Proposals could utilize the Antico Mercato building as an adaptive re-use structure for covered market space, or other proposed urban enhancement programs, such as new urban space, landscape, park, enhance circulation and access of the existing market, and engage the street market and connection to the Temple of Apollo. Student designs proposals had the capacity to remove certain existing elements (railings, walls, urban infrastructure etc…) and add to the existing infrastructure to enhance the area. Individuals selected the projects' function and programs, as guided by the site analysis and research. The design project invited cultural sensitivity, imagination and intellect to inform and enhance the area.

The student design interventions could relate to adaptive re-use of the Ortigia market, a covered market at the end of the nineteenth century, engage an active street market or nearby sea edge. The Ortigia market borders to the east of the archaeological area of the Greek-archaic temple dedicated to Apollo and near the perimeter of the island and the Ionian Sea. The building is currently minimally used by the local community. The market structure contains a large courtyard characterized by a four-sided portico with arches on columns and a basement with a cryptoportico.

“The architects who reviewed the students' work thought it was incredibly thoughtful. The drawings could really speak.” - Teaching Professor Marianne Holbert

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For the win: A semester worth celebrating

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 18:23:46 +0000

For the win: A semester worth celebrating Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 12/19/2023 - 11:23

The Program in Environmental Design hosted its Open House exhibition on Dec. 15, 2023. The Open House is a building-wide exhibition of design and research produced by students and faculty during the fall semester. The event was established in 2018 to encourage the connection between students, their peers, alumni and friends, as well as the Boulder community.

Couldn’t make it this year? Watch the video reel above!

At the end of each fall semester, Environmental Design (ENVD) hosts a building-wide exhibition of design and research produced by students and faculty.

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Student work on exhibit at Eldora Mountain Resort

Anonymous — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 19:06:00 +0000

Student work on exhibit at Eldora Mountain Resort Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 01/19/2022 - 12:06

Six students from Senior Instructor Jade Polizzi’s advanced architecture studio Celebrating Snow have been selected to exhibit their work at the Eldora Mountain Resort through the end of March 2022.

Last fall, Polizzi’s architecture studio spent the semester proposing future designs for the Eldora Mountain Resort. Students began the process by gaining a better understanding of the properties of wood as a building material and then moved into designing two hypothetical projects, a warming pavilion on top of the Eldora mountain and a proposal for a replacement to Eldora’s Timbers Lodge.

The exhibit is set up at the Timbers Lodge and is open to the public during normal business hours, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday thru Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Exhibited work by ENVD students: Alice Winslow, Davis Velte, Allison Smith, Holly Hammontree, Meghan Cihasky, and Liam Baker.

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ARCH 3100: The Future of Flight at Boulder Municipal Airport

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Nov 2021 17:50:41 +0000

ARCH 3100: The Future of Flight at Boulder Municipal Airport Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 11/16/2021 - 10:50

Instructor: Marianne Holbert

This semester, students in The Future of Flight at Boulder Municipal Airport architecture studio are designing a new terminal for the Boulder Municipal Airport. Peek into their site visit to the airport, which took place last week. Assistant Clinical Professor helps build comradery through activities such as studio team hikes at Mt. Sanitas.

Students in The Future of Flight at Boulder Municipal Airport architecture studio are designing a new terminal for the Boulder Municipal Airport.

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Breaking Down Barriers of a Pandemic in the Architecture Classroom

Anonymous — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 21:56:07 +0000

Breaking Down Barriers of a Pandemic in the Architecture Classroom Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 10/12/2020 - 15:56

With Assistant Professor Marianne Holbert

In March 2020, the Environmental Design classroom quickly transitioned into a remote and online setting, one that many expected not to last as long as it has. In many ways, a hybrid teaching approach could redefine the future of design education.

Assistant Clinical Professor Marianne Holbert teaches a range of ENVD courses from design studios, history theory and a global seminar in Rome. Holbert emphasizes her teachings on the design thinking process, encouraging her students to deep dive into the rationale behind a design.

“Over the course of my teaching, I’ve engaged in a number of design competitions with my upper-level studios, and one of the things that I’ve found most interesting and most challenging is that when you’re framing a design problem, connecting it to the bigger world, you’re trying to make it something that people can connect to in bigger ways,” Assistant Clinical Professor Marianne Holbert said.

During the shift to remote last spring, Holbert was teaching a history theory course with 125 students and a sophomore-level architecture studio. Looking back, she is grateful for the few months she was able to hold in-person classes where she got to know her students, which allowed for a smoother transition.

“I still knew their names. I knew their faces, and there was just a dialogue that continued, and I felt grateful for that,” Holbert said.

Not everything acclimated quickly and smoothly. For Holbert’s architecture studio, the setting was much more intimate. In-person meetings allowed for “snack days” and gatherings where the class could sit in circles for discussions and critiques, and then suddenly students were asked to distance themselves from their peers and studio culture.

“There were tears when they [CU] announced that we were going online. One of the students said, ‘we need to have a group hug now because we probably never will again.’ It was really momentous for them, and it was really hard,” Holbert said.

As summer courses were implemented, the expectations of the classroom setting were clearer. Students were able to prepare themselves for an online architecture studio as it became more normal. Holbert recognized that when students could anticipate what to expect, in this case taking an online summer course, it made it easier to adapt.

Currently, the fall semester has been a hybrid of in-person, remote and online experiences. Holbert initially established a synchronous model to accommodate students who wanted to be in the studio and students who preferred to be remote. She described the new in-person experience as being awkward.

“You’re in the same space, and yet you can’t be just verbally connected; you [also] have to be digitally connected. We’re really far apart, so you can’t hear across the room and since you can’t hear across the room you have to have Zoom audio, but you [students] have to be muted because otherwise there’s an echo… I was wearing a mask, students who were in-person were wearing masks and the students who are remote are not. So, there were these layers of awkwardness,” Holbert said.

It wasn’t all bad though. Holbert said that there have been “wonderful” moments about being able to come together.

“Seeing them sort of talk with each other or even body language of joy, you can feel all of those things when you’re in the same space,” Holbert said.

Right now, is the time Holbert believes there is so much to be learned in working in a hybrid and dynamic setting, and that it could have an impact on the future of design education.

“You know, we’ve done some awesome digital pinups, engaging with people from all over the world," Holbert said. "I feel like there are lessons that we’re learning that we can bring back to in-person, and I think it will make the in-person [experience] richer.”

ENVD students win IAAC Design for Living Competition Awards

This summer, Marianne Holbert and her architecture capstone summer course (ARCH 4100) focused on the international design competition Design For Living. The global contest to rethink our habitat from the body to the city was the 8th Advanced Architecture contest hosted by the Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC).

In March 2020, the Environmental Design classroom quickly transitioned into a remote and online setting, one that many expected not to last as long as it has.

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Ask an Architect: Career Hour with AIA Colorado

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 16:27:23 +0000

Ask an Architect: Career Hour with AIA Colorado Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/30/2020 - 10:27

Do you want to become an architect? Whether young or young at heart, this event is for those at any point in their journey looking to enter the profession of architecture.

Ask an Architect: Career Hour with AIA Colorado is an event for students, alumni and young professionals of all ages. It's a free event, but participants will need to register.

During this career Zoom hour, ask your pressing questions to five architects who represent a broad range of backgrounds and practice areas. You'll get to chat directly with members from the AIA Colorado Equity, Diversity and Inclusiveness Committee on what it's like to be an architect and how you can, too—no matter what stage you're in.

When: Friday, October 16 at 12 p.m.

Ask an Architect: Career Hour with AIA Colorado is an event for students, alumni and young professionals of all ages.

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How to Build In Space

Anonymous — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 16:42:54 +0000

How to Build In Space Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 09/08/2020 - 10:42

During the spring semester, ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ��'s space minor featured its first design course hosted by ENVD, How to Build in Space, led by Instructor Azhar Khan.

The approach for this course was part-seminar and part-studio, allowing students to learn about the complexities and challenges of designing architecture that is not on earth. The course covered several vernacular architecture examples to illustrate how humans have built using environmental, ecological and cultural cues; and then use this knowledge to design an orbiting space station as well as a Martian colony.

Over the course of the semester, students constructed physical models, hand-drawn analytical drawings and digitally developed architecture proposals.

During the spring semester, ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ��'s space minor featured its first design course hosted by ENVD, How to Build in Space, led by Instructor Azhar Khan.

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