Nominating company: Kawneer
Location: Denver, ColoradoWinning team
- Contract glazier: 8G Solutions
- Architectural aluminum systems manufacturer: Kawneer
- Architect: Studio Gang
- General contractor: The Beck Group
- Photo credit: Jason O’Rear
Populus is the first carbon-positive hotel in the United States, according to nominating company Kawneer. The project was designed to be the center for a thriving community, contributing to Denver’s ever-evolving landscape. The 13-story Populus hotel has a distinctive façade designed to mimic the area’s iconic Aspen trees, which have a white bark often scarred with a dark pattern that resembles eyes. The designers mimicked this distinctive pattern in the hotel’s façade by creating a white shell featuring elliptical windows of varying sizes—the “eyes” of the façade.
One of the project’s main goals was to combine the urban character of the city’s downtown with its rich ecology to create a building that would redefine the Denver skyline, say officials. The project features a variety of Kawneer’s architectural aluminum systems to achieve its ambitious design and sustainability goals.
The façade is targeting LEED Gold and incorporates highly recycled building materials and fewer finish materials, maximizing structural efficiency and minimizing waste. Populus’ ongoing building operations will also be carbon positive. In addition to the building’s embodied carbon, the hotel’s operational carbon footprint is offset from its daily operations and every guest’s stay. For every room that is booked at the hotel, a tree is planted, creating a direct impact on the environment. Featuring highly sustainable design features, Populus goes beyond net zero to help the planet thrive, say Kawneer officials.
“As the first carbon-positive hotel in the U.S., Populus sets a new benchmark for climate-conscious design by actively sequestering more carbon than it emits. Its striking, biomimetic architecture and regenerative strategy redefine what sustainable hospitality can be,” says Glass Magazine Awards judge Austin Zajichek, marketing manager, Linetec.
