University of Colorado Boulder, Hellems Arts and Sciences
A student-first approach to the renovation of a nostalgic building.
University of Colorado Boulder, Hellems Arts and Sciences
Boulder, Colorado
102,0000 SF
in Construction
Client Notes
The Hellems Arts and Sciences Building and Mary Rippon Theatre Capital Renewal Project is a complete modernization of a historic Charles Klauder building (1922 &1938) located within the Norlin Quadrangle National Historic District of CU Boulder’s campus. This project presents opportunities and benefits to the CU Boulder community, with fifty percent of the entering undergraduate class and eighty percent of the post-graduate recipients taking at least one course in Hellems. The primary goal of the project is to create a student-focused facility that is welcoming and inclusive and supports the flexibility of multi-department uses.
Designer Notes
For a century, the Hellems Arts and Sciences Building has been a touchstone of the student experience on the CU Boulder campus. Balancing its historic charm while adapting to the needs of today’s students first was at the forefront of the design team’s design approach in transforming the building into a hub for academic success.
Through student engagement, the design team identified spatial qualities that will support student academic experience. Students requested a mix of social and quiet study spaces, that prioritized their wellbeing and that of the planet. In response, the design team optimized the existing footprint by locating student space at the heart of the building and enhanced Hellems’ assets. The project is on track to achieve LEED Gold Certification and a 67% reduction in energy consumption through system improvements and envelope upgrades.
The best traits of the building were concealed behind walls and eras of remodel. By peeling back these layers the design team opened the interior to daylight and the surrounding landscape, connecting the main entry with the Mary Rippon Theatre in the courtyard through a central node of student activity. Two adjacent porches create outdoor student space during the school year and enhance the experience of Colorado Shakespeare Festival theater goers in the summer. The theatre will also undergo infrastructure and accessibility improvements.
To improve navigation and showcase resources, the design team opened the floor plate between Level 01 and 02 and created an aperture from Level 02 to 03. This energized the central node and connected it with a language learning lab and workspace for graduate students.
The design team restructured the east wing of the building to adapt classrooms for new pedagogies that are open, flexible, and equipped for both lecture and team-based learning. The expanded bay shifted from a corridor that was lined with classrooms and faculty offices to one that is daylit and offers cozy niches for students to collaborate or study in. Faculty offices were then consolidated to the west wing, where a more efficient layout yielded collaboration space for faculty and students.
The iconic character of the campus was extended to the interior to instill a broader connection with both the university and the region. The building exterior will be preserved with select accessibility improvements at entries. Exposed concrete structure, restored terrazzo, stone, and wood floors ground a palette inspired by native vegetation that was both healthy and durable. Craft unites these elements and conveys care and belonging to students.
Certifications
Targeting LEED Gold
People
Emma Abramowitz / Berhan Ayalew / Leesa Cano / Caleb Couch / John Dalit / Keri Erwin / Maddy Gorman / Amy Maras / Kevin Mulvaney / Van Stanek / Jessica Tippens / Rashmi Vasavada / Peng Wang / Yi Wang / Sarah Weber
David Keltner, Design Principal
Nick Hodges, Principal-in-Charge
In collaboration with Handprint Architects:
Tania Salgado, Project Manager
Tom Wuertz
Ron Izzzo
