Stantec recognized nationally for the Denver Water Administration Building

The Denver Water Administration Building, designed by global firm Stantec, has earned the only Platinum ranking from Building Design + Construction’s 2021 Building Team Awards. Recognized projects were selected based on design, engineering, construction quality and excellence, and collaboration among the entire project team – architects, engineers, specialty consultants, contractors, building owners, developers, government entities, etc.

Facing a future of water insecurity due to climate change-induced drought and an urban population boom, Colorado’s oldest and largest water service provider, Denver Water set out to design a new civic campus that could effect change for smart water use and which would bring them closer to their vision of becoming the nation’s number one water utility.

The innovative, new office building serves as the heart of Denver Water’s redesigned campus, linking eight new and renovated facilities, including a new warehouse, meter shop, trades, and fleet buildings – all designed by Stantec.

While the Denver Water’s Administration Building pushes the sustainability boundaries on many fronts, perhaps the most singular impactful aspect is in the embodiment of its One Water initiative. Conceived by Denver Water and brought to life by the ingenuity of the interdisciplinary design team, the One Water concept is Denver Water’s holistic plan for water efficiency and reuse that promotes the right water source for the right use. The design strategy involves onsite wastewater treatment and recycling for toilet flushing and irrigation purposes, through an extensive system of internal planter beds and external landscaping that serve double duty as both systems infrastructure and key biophilic elements.

The implementation of these systems is a first in Colorado, with Denver Water working to expand state regulations, clearing the way for other new developments to pursue their own One Water solutions. With this new building, Denver Water demonstrates broader influence with a design approach that moves beyond simply achieving a highly sustainable net zero energy building. It impacts Denver and the state-wide community by changing regulations to promote sustainability and helps safeguard the long-term resilience of the regional water supply.

A key strategy in achieving its LEED Platinum certification and net zero energy design was the inclusion of 1.3MW producing solar panels on the Administration Building’s roof, parking garage upper level, and employee parking carport, which offsets 100% of the building’s energy use. The design team modeled a maximum potential Energy Use Intensity (EUI) of 24 for the building. Ahead of the pandemic and throughout half the first year of operation, it achieved an actual EUI of 15 -- outperforming not only the predictive model, but delivering an 83% reduction in energy use from the benchmark for a similar building.

In addition to the building’s sustainability systems and strategies, the campus boasts a myriad of health and wellness features to provide a better workplace environment for its employees and visitors.

“We knew our design of the Denver Water project would impact the 1.5 million people the utility serves – a responsibility we took to heart. The final product is an innovative campus that harnesses the latest technology and design best practices for sustainability and water reuse,” said Josh Gould, senior vice president for Stantec. “On behalf of our project partners, we proud to have our collaborative efforts on this one-of-a-kind project recognized at the highest level by BD+C as their Platinum Award recipient.”

Working closely with Denver Water, Stantec led the architecture, interior design, landscape design, and lighting design for the project, working with IMEG Corp (MEP engineering), KL&A (structural engineering), Integral Group (conceptual engineering, energy/daylight analysis), Ambient Engineering (LEED facilitation), Martin/Martin (civil engineering) and general contractor Mortenson.

About Stantec
Communities are fundamental. Whether around the corner or across the globe, they provide a foundation, a sense of place and of belonging. That's why at Stantec, we always design with community in mind.

We care about the communities we serve—because they're our communities too. This allows us to assess what's needed and connect our expertise, to appreciate nuances and envision what's never been considered, to bring together diverse perspectives so we can collaborate toward a shared success.

We're designers, engineers, scientists, and project managers, innovating together at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships. Balancing these priorities results in projects that advance the quality of life in communities across the globe.

Stantec trades on the TSX and the NYSE under the symbol STN.

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Susan Bender                                                              
Stantec Media Relations                                               
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susan.bender@stantec.com