STEAM ON THE PLATTE
Denver, Colorado
In 1965 Denver experienced a devastating flood, in fact the most destructive natural disaster in Denver’s history with more than $4 billion (2015 currency) worth of property damage. The industrial warehouse that now houses STEAM on the Platte was one of Denver’s original industrial buildings, and one of the many structures damaged and abandoned leaving behind a metal and timber structure along with a 3-story tall textile baler, elevator rig, and some additional industrial equipment.
Repurposing the three-story warehouse, which had been abandoned for decades, into a workspace for tech companies and creative businesses was no small feat. A lot of work and coordination went into accentuating the history of the building and revitalizing the existing construction of this historical building, even down to integrating some of the large industrial machinery into the current architecture. Existing wooden beams and brick walls were cleaned and left exposed and the original wooden floors refinished where possible. The lighting was designed to accentuate the textures and history of the building without detracting, with hidden spotlights for the wooden beams and wall graze fixtures along the brick walls. To help with energy efficiency and longevity all LED fixtures were utilized throughout the structure.
Client: tres birds workshop, Urban Ventures
Commercial, Office Space, Lighting Design
