CREJ

March 2020 \ BUILDING DIALOGUE \ 57 C olorado Mesa University’s hospitality program has enjoyed significant growth over the years and the university is preparing to open a “teaching hotel” during the first quarter of 2020 as a result. The trans- formative project is defined not only by the unique experience it will provide to students and guests, but also the distinctive architecture and use of materials that will purposely set it apart from the material vernacular of other main buildings on campus. Unlike other university academic buildings that utilize tradition- al materials such as stone, concrete and masonry for construction facade detailing, Davis Partnership Architects envisioned a unique materiality of the Hotel Maverick to set it apart. The hotel will boast a contemporary theme that integrates an ethos of the modern West. The overall shape of the building design brings a connection of the hotel guest rooms and the amenity functions, or a confluence of the two programs. This is a loose translation of the confluence of rivers that occur in Grand Junc- tion. The separate programs are represented by separate building materials. The amenity wing to the east is clad in fiber cement panels and concrete masonry units while the hotel wing is clad in the Dizal aluminum siding product. These materials bring a sense of modernity to the region while staying true to the Western roots of the city and region. One of the key elements of the hotel’s design is wood, or faux woodto be exact. Nothing speaks to Colorado and Western architecture as much as the look and colors of real wood grain, however the harsh Colorado climate makes the use of real wood a challenge. University buildings are designed and constructed with the intent of lasting 50, 100, or even 200 years on campus. Thus, the fragility of real wood is rarely used due to the annual maintenance and upkeep required. The Ho- tel Maverick is benefitting from a faux wood material that has not only provided a long term solution, but provides the exterior of the building with the look and feel of Colorado and the West that emanates from the digitized wood images that Colorado Mesa University’s Hotel Maverick will Benefit from a Unique Design Solution Kurt Basford, AIA Associate, Davis Partnership Architects Bob Cujé President, Modern Materials