The Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building on the University of Colorado Boulder’s East Campus has earned LEED-Platinum designation for new construction from the U.S. Green Building Council. The 336,800-sq-ft facility houses more than 60 faculty and 500 researchers, staff and students from various science, humanities and engineering disciplines. Photo courtesy of JE Dunn Construction The Jennie Smoly Caruthers Building at CU Boulder supports life-changing research for a variety of health issues. The Jennie Smoly Caruthers building is 30% more energy efficient and 40% more water efficient than similar, code-compliant research buildings that have been recently built. Designers maximized energy efficiency in many

Some buildings take longer to construct than others, but few people expected it would take two decades to create a new federal courthouse in Salt Lake City. Related Links: Engineering News Record Architectural Record The process to upgrade or replace the city's aging Frank E. Moss Courthouse on Main Street began in the early 1990s, well before tighter security requirements for federal buildings were put into place after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Not only did the old courthouse not meet new blast-proof and perimeter security standards set by Congress in 2001, it also did not allow for the separate

Sturgeon Electric Co. Inc. is one of those firms that stayed close to home during the recent recession, took care of its long-term clients and turned solid customer service into a growth strategy. Related Links: Engineering News Record Architectural Record The Henderson, Colo.-based electrical contractor, a subsidiary of MYR Group Inc., Rolling Meadows, Ill., tops this year's ranking of Mountain States specialty contractors with 2011 self-reported revenue of $156.1 million, up from $137.6 million the previous year. Sturgeon also marked its 100th anniversary in 2012, making it one of the longest continuously operating construction firms in the region.The company provides

Specialty contractors across the Mountain States are more upbeat than in recent years about the overall health of the industry and the regional outlook for 2013. While many firms saw an uptick in revenue and profits in 2012, ongoing anxiety about availability of work and tighter competition is being compounded by national economic concerns. Related Links: Engineering News Record Architectural Record Trade contractors that survived the recession did so by retooling their operations and keeping current customers happy while seeking out new ones, often by diversifying services. The result: expanded but leaner operations with a greater reliance on prefabrication of

Both the Intermountain and Colorado construction markets are forecast to meet or exceed national industry expectations in 2013, according to several economic sources. Related Links: ENR Mountain States: Construction Spending ENR Mountain States: Industry Jobs Earlier this year, McGraw-Hill Construction forecast a 6% increase in construction starts nationwide in 2013, following a 5% rise this year. FMI Corp. predicts new construction put-in-place will climb 8% next year, following this year's 5% increase. The National Association of Home Builders says the rebound in the national housing market is on solid ground, but adds that the big numbers are still a year

The new East Tower addition to Children's Hospital on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colo., will allow the hospital to treat adult patients for the first time. Begun in 2010, the 11-story tower connects to the north face of Children's ambulatory-patient building and the east face of the main hospital building. Related Links: Engineering News Record Architectural Record The 335,000-sq-ft addition was built to house a new program, the Maternal and Fetal Institute, which cares for mothers and newborns during high-risk pregnancies and allows them to remain in the same facility after delivery. The institute has its own entrance

Multifamily property developer Wood Partners has broken ground on Alta City House, a five-story, 281-unit luxury apartment community in the heart of the bustling Union Station neighborhood, one of the most ambitious and closely watched urban redevelopment projects in the nation.
 Rendering by Norris Design The five-story, 281-unit luxury Alta City House will be built at 1801 Chestnut St., just west of the Denvers historic Union Station located at 17th and Wynkoop streets. Wood Partners and East West Partners, developer of Riverfront Park and the Union Station district, obtained financing for the $62-million project from USAA Real Estate Co. 
Alta

The new Southeast Wyoming Welcome Center, located just north of the Colorado-Wyoming state line off Interstate 25, offers much more than just restroom facilities to road-weary travelers. It also serves as a museum with interpretive displays, provides a new home for the Wyoming Office of Tourism and includes warehouse space for the Wyoming Dept. of Transportation. Photo courtesy of The RMH Group The buildings long axis allows for large amounts of daylight to enter the public areas and office spaces. Two hundred photovoltaic panels on the roof and south wall convert sunlight into power to supply much of the facilitys

A highly visible campus-wide project is under way at the University of Colorado Boulder that will further the university’s reputation as a leader in sustainability and an innovator in reducing carbon emissions. Rendering by LOA Architecture The campus' new East District Energy Plant will be located near the Coors Events Center and will serve as a showcase for energy-efficient concepts. CU Boulder is upgrading the utility infrastructure that serves the entire main campus. It will also greatly improve energy efficiency and slash carbon emissions. The multi-phased project is anticipated to be fully operational by winter 2014 and is comprised of

This year's Best Projects competition in the Mountain States region featured more than 100 entries—our largest number to date—in a dozen different categories from which the judges selected nearly 70 winners.