U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8 Headquarters

The new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 8 Headquarters building sits on an urban brownfield in downtown Denver, Colorado, adjacent to Union Station, the LoDo redevelopment, and the 16th Street pedestrian mall. Consisting of 9 stories of office space, two levels of below grade parking and ground level retail, the 292,000 GSF building is the result of a challenging design process that sought to integrate a contemporary, high-performance, secure, and environmentally sensitive building into one of Denver’s most important historic and civic districts. A key program goal was to assimilate the new facility into the urban fabric in a way that strengthens and enhances the quality of the historic neighborhood in which it is located, while establishing the building as a landmark in its own right. Moreover, the building features a number of experimental sustainable design applications that will further the body of knowledge on sustainable, integrated design, and thus the building embodies the EPA’s mission to protect and enhance human health and the environment. The building is both LEED certified at the Gold level and Energy Star labeled. As a Federal building, the structure also had to meet strict Department of Homeland Security requirements, resulting in a Level 4 facility.