Renovation transforms aging high-rise into energy efficient, glass-clad building

The basics: Denver's 1001 17th St. transformed from an aging high-rise into an energy-efficient, Class A office building with an outdoor plaza and a glass-enclosed, "jewel box" connecting visitors with outside views of a vibrant downtown. This pedestrian-friendly, 40,000-square-foot lobby and retail podium offers an inviting path into the workplaces of the renovated, multitenant office/retail tower. Quiznos, the anchor tenant in the 645,000-square-foot renovation, designated the street-level, transparent concourse of retail space for its flagship sandwich store, as inspired by New York's high-visibility Apple store. The project is seeking designation as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design existing building.

The players: Architect, Barber Architecture, Denver; general contractor, The Weitz Co., Denver; window system supplier, Wausau Window and Wall Systems, Wausau, Wis.; contract glazier, J.R. Butler Inc., Denver; aluminum finisher, Linetec, Wausau, Wis.; glass fabricator, Viracon, Owatonna, Minn.; anchor tenant, Quiznos, QFA Royalties LLC , Denver. 

The glass and systems: Aluminum SuperWall system in 2.5-inch widths by 10.25-inch depths, painted in two-coat 70 percent polyvinylidene fluoride mica and matching champagne anodize with Viracon Radiant Low-E insulating glass. The units were pre-glazed, shipped to the site, hoisted into place with a crane, and safely and easily installed, according to officials from J.R. Butler Inc.