CREJ

December 2021 \ BUILDING DIALOGUE \ 85 I n 1991, current University of Denver architect Mark Rodgers, AIA, stepped onto the DU cam- pus for the first time. Fresh from grad school and working for a local architect, Rodgers was there to assess a potential landscape project. As he walked along the paths, he was shocked by the condition of the aging campus. “I remember realizing that this university, while it might not have been on its knees or about to fold, it had some real infrastructure issues,” says Rodgers. “Both the grounds and the buildings … broken win- dows covered with plywood, those sorts of things.” But, the last three decades have seen a renewal of the DU campus. And when students returned this past fall, they were treated to three beautiful, new build- ings. Designed to serve students at every stage of their academic life cycle, Dimond Family Residential Vil- lage, Community Commons and The Burwell Center for Career Achievement were conceived in DU’s Den- ver Advantage Plan in 2016. “It really started with our former chancellor, Rebec- ca Chopp, whose vision was to center the students’ experiences, both programmatically, but also literally center them at the heart of campus,” says Mo Lotif, owner’s representative for DU. “The relationships, the knowledge and the support systems students need to navigate their collegiate experience was the driving force for this vision.” DU issued bonds for all three projects, then tackled the architect of record and general contractor search- es for Community Commons and Dimond Family Res- idential Village. According to Rodgers, it did it that way because the two buildings are “contiguous to one another and there were elements of site utility, site access” that needed to be addressed in tandem. “These three buildings signify that the institution is open, welcoming and wants to create a sense of belonging.” –Mark Rodgers