Colorado Architecture News | 09.03.25

In this Newsletter:

• Sept 18 Design + Honor Awards Celebration Event tickets
• Denver Affordable Housing Challenge
• AIA Colorado welcomes Dr. David Rifkind to the Board of Directors
• Health Horizons Symposium
• CKLDP Summer Sessions Recap
• Sept 4 Sun Valley Block 3: Joli and Flo
• Sept 9 Virtual Connect: Telluride Four Seasons
• Sept 10 Business of Architecture: Partnering in Architecture
• Sept 17 CKLDP happy hour for current class and past alumni
• Sept 18 Design + Honor Awards Celebration Event
• Sept 20 Two Mile House tour
• Sept 23 Denargo Market tour
• Sept 24 The State of DEI in Colorado: What’s Next for the Architecture Profession?
• Community news and events
• National news
• Premier Partner spotlight: Architectural Education Foundation (AEF)

Last chance for regularly priced tickets! 

Join us September 18th at the Awards Celebration at Tivoli Turnhalle, in Denver, as we reveal their selections and celebrate this year’s Honor Awards recipients! You won’t want to miss this event as 18 projects are celebrated and 7 individual honorees are recognized at Tivoli Turnhalle, in Denver. Bring your team, clients, family, and friends! 

Late registration ticket prices begin September 5th. A few tables featuring the best seats in the house are still available and can be purchased by contacting rylee@aiacolorado.org. Event sponsorship information is available here. 

Tickets are available here.

Denver Affordable Housing Challenge

There’s still time to register for the Denver Affordable Housing Challenge as the closing date for registration is Thursday, September 18th. Final project submissions are due October 20th. Join as architects worldwide have been invited to reimagine affordable housing in Denver. The international architecture ideas competition explores how affordability and design excellence can be harmonized to create innovative, high-quality housing solutions tailored to Denver’s specific context. Learn more about the competition, meet the jury, and prepare for key submission dates here.

AIA Colorado welcomes Dr. David Rifkind to the Board of Directors

We are pleased to welcome Dr. David Rifkind, the new Dean of CU Denver’s College of Architecture and Planning (CAP), as an At-Large member of the AIA Colorado Board of Directors. We look forward to collaborating with Dr. Rifkind as we continue advancing the architecture profession and designing a more equitable, sustainable, and beautiful Colorado.

Health Horizons Symposium

October 16th, from 1 – 5pm, at CSU Spur – Hydro Building, in Denver, AIA Colorado’s Academy of Architecture for Health Knowledge Community (AAH) and Women in Healthcare (WIH) present an interactive half-day event themed Reimagined Care. Oriented to both AEC & healthcare professionals, don’t miss this chance to connect with peers, share ideas, and envision the future of healthcare. More information and RSVP here.

CKLDP 2025 Summer Recap

AIA Colorado’s Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program (CKLDP)provides participants the opportunity to form a cohort with other emerging professionals in the field of architecture, developing their skills on several focused topics in the once-a-month sessions throughout the year. The program is well underway in its ninth year, with Opening Ceremony, Spring Sessions, and most recently Sessions 4, 5, and 6 having occurred, where participants engaged in knowledge sharing from industry experts, team building and collaborative activities, and overall improving upon their professional skills. Catch up with a summary and highlights of the Summer sessions here.

Boulder Fire Station #3 tour

North Local Advisors organized a tour of the new Boulder Fire Station #3 where members learned about the all-electric, 100-year facility. Thank you to Davis Partnership Architects for the tour!

Lone Rock Retreat tour

Denver Local Advisors organized a tour of Lone Rock Retreat, located in Bailey, CO, a nonprofit resort-style experience. Thank you to OZ Architecture for the tour!

September 4 • Sun Valley Block 3: Joli and Flo

Thursday, September 4th, join AIA members for a tour and discussion led by OZ Architecture of the firm’s partnership with Denver Housing Authority and the design of a full city block in the evolving Sun Valley neighborhood of Denver. The project tour will take us inside and outside of Joli and Flo as well as the community amenities within the development. Tour submitted for 1 LU|HSW. RSVP here.

September 9 • Virtual Connect: Telluride Four Seasons

Tuesday, September 9th, join Olson Kundig architects virtually for a design tour of Telluride Four Seasons, a 4-acre luxury resort that is designed to blend with the natural hillside landscape. OZ Architecture, Architect of Record on the project, will join the Design Architect and will talk through some of the unique details and technical challenges to building in a tight mountain setting. This session has been submitted for 1 LU|HSW. RSVP here.

September 10 • Business of Architecture: Partnering in Architecture

Wednesday, September 10th, join the Business of Architecture Committee, in person or online, for a roundtable discussion regarding partnering in architecture. Topics to be discussed include:

• When do you know it’s time to partner with another architecture firm?
• What are the pros and cons to partnering with other architecture firms?
• What are the various partnership/teaming agreements that could benefit firms?
• Joint Ventures vs. Teaming Agreements and associated risk
• Design-build relationships with GC as prime 

RSVP here.

September 17 • CKLDP happy hour

Wednesday, September 17th, connect and network with current and past Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program (CKLDP) scholars at Schoolyard Beer Garden. For the first time, all past and current scholars are invited to connect with members from all 9 classes. This event is only for past and current CKLDP More info and RSVP here.

September 18 • Design + Honor Awards

Thursday, September 18th, join AIA Colorado as we unveil the recipients of the 2025 Design + Honor Awards and celebrate the exemplary work of Colorado architects. You won’t want to miss this event as 18 projects are recognized and 7 individual honorees are celebrated at Tivoli Turnhalle, in Denver. Bring your team, clients, family, and friends! Sponsorship information is available here. Tickets are available here.

Sept 20 • Two Mile House tour

Saturday, September 20th, join AIA Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN) members for a tour of Two Mile House in Breckenridge. In the Valley of the Blue, this all-electric mountain retreat reimagines the iconic A-frame as a light-filled sanctuary, shaped by views of the Tenmile Range and the path of the sun. More info and RSVP here.

Sept 23 • Denargo Market tour

Tuesday September 23rd, join AIA members for a tour of Denargo Market, the largest mix-use development under construction in the City of Denver right now. The riverfront development will soon host over 3M square feet of new development including thousands of new residential units. The master plan lays out a public realm framework that repositions the site with the river as a front door, with retail and food and beverage spilling out onto a new extension of the RiNo promenade. The first phase of construction includes over 4-acres of new public space including streets, plazas, and parks. More info and RSVP here.

Sept 24 • The State of DEI in Colorado: What’s Next for the Architecture Profession?

Wednesday, September 24th, join AIA Colorado’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee and NOMA Colorado for an insightful roundtable discussion about the State of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in Colorado. This roundtable invites AIA members, NOMA Members, and AIAS and NOMAS members into an open, inclusive conversation about the evolving state of DEI in architecture. As the profession, and equality infrastructure in general, faces another moment of reckoning, where many feel discouraged by the pace of progress or the diminishing visibility/viability of DEI efforts, this session offers space for honest reflection and reconnection. Event to be submitted for 1.5 LU|HSW. More information, meet the moderator and panelists, and RSVP available here.

2025-26 CAP Lecture and Exhibition Series

The 2025-26 College of Architecture and Planning Lecture and Exhibition Series showcases an interdisciplinary cross-section of contemporary practitioners, including architects, historians, curators, preservationists, landscape architects, urban designers, and planners. 

View lecture and exhibition series website with full series listings here.

Upcoming CAP Lectures

All events are free, open to the public, and will be recorded unless otherwise specified. All lectures, unless specified, will start at 12 p.m. and be held on the Second Floor Gallery of CU Building, 1250 14th St, Denver, CO. 

Thursday, September 18, 4pm, Kimberly Garza and Erik Prince, Atlas Lab Founder and Principal and Principal, respectively. RSVP here

Thursday, September 4, 12 pm, Ignacio Galan, Columbia University, Assistant Professor of Architecture. RSVP here

DPS seeks mentors from the architecture profession for the upcoming school year

Denver Public Schools Coach Mentoring Program 2025/26 is seeking applications from professionals in architecture and allied fields to mentor high school students. This rewarding opportunity includes mentoring students once a month (2.5 hours) from September to April at schools like Northeast Early College and Northfield High School (engineering and design focus) and East High School (Women in STEAM, sponsored by CU Boulder). Mentors can choose a preferred cohort—see all options here —and will receive free background checks and training this Fall. Make a lasting impact on students exploring careers in design and architecture. Mentor job description is available here and application is here. For questions, contact Sarah Goldblatt, AIA or Brianna Benevides.Deadline to apply is Friday, September 5th.

Colorado Building Symposium West

Coming up September 4th & 5th, join architects and builders in the West for an annual residential building science driven symposium for Colorado Builders, Architects, and Trades People. After a successful first Symposium, held in Denver this past January, this event features builders and building science experts, all based in Colorado, speaking to Colorado specific issues. A single track symposium offers the additional opportunity for robust conversation and debate at breaks and receptions, as everyone has heard the same presentations. View the schedule, meet the presenters, and register here.

Colorado Green Building Guild Home Tour

September 13th, from 10am – 4pm, take a self-guided tour showcasing a selection of remarkable homes across Boulder County—each designed with resilience, sustainability, and cutting-edge building practices in mind. The event is open to curious homeowners, design enthusiasts, and building professionals alike, offering inspiration and practical insights. Tickets include access to all featured homes throughout the day, a digital booklet with details on products, performance metrics, and sustainable strategies used in each project, and an invitation to our happy hour after-party to connect with fellow attendees and professional. AIA members register at the CGBG member rate by using the link here.

Colorado Model Low Energy and Carbon Code

The Colorado Energy Office (CEO) recently announced that the Colorado Energy Code Board has published its Model Low Energy and Carbon Code. These new guidelines will increase flexibility for builders by providing multiple options to achieve efficiency by removing mandatory on-site renewable energy requirements for commercial buildings and making renewable energy voluntary. At the same time, the code will, for the first time, fairly credit energy savings from high-efficiency electric heating and water heating. This means that while the code changes do not make it more difficult to build with gas, in many circumstances high-efficiency electric heating and water heating will be the most cost-effective option. Learn more about the new code here. Register for informational webinars on the new code here.

The AIA Colorado Job Board is updated daily. Job hunting? Take a peek to discover new opportunities. Hiring? Post your single job for 30 days. Connect with qualified candidates. Here are a few featured job openings:

• Senior Project Architect at Chalet Design
• Architect/PM Designer Jr. or Sr. level at Bldg Seed Architects
• Project Architect at Santulan Architecture

Strategic Planning Survey for The American Institute of Architects

As part of our strategic planning process, AIA is conducting a brief, confidential survey to better understand what matters most to current and former members. Whether you’re deeply involved or haven’t engaged with AIA in a while, your perspective is important—and will help shape AIA’s future priorities. To ensure your feedback remains confidential, Brighter Strategies is conducting the survey. All responses will be anonymous and reported only in aggregate. The survey will take about 15 minutes to complete. Please complete the survey by September 05. Survey is available here.

How 2025 will shape your 2026 annual plan

As the architecture and engineering industry looks ahead to 2026, understanding what’s on the horizon is more important than ever. Join AIA and Deltek on September 16 at 12 pm MT for a discussion on the latest trends impacting firm strategy, performance, and resilience. Hear from industry leaders Daphne Bryant, executive director at the ACEC Research Institute, Michele Russo, vice president of research & practice at AIA, and Megan Miller, senior director of product marketing at Deltek, as they share valuable insights on how 2025 trends will influence your firm’s future planning. Session earns 1 AIA LU. More info and register here.

Save the Date: AIA Trust Week Returns September 15-19

AIA Trust Week returns September 15-19 with a powerful lineup of courses focused on resilience, sustainability, and leadership to help architects build stronger, more adaptable practices. Learn more at AIA.

We’re proud to highlight one of AIA Colorado’s Premier Partners, Architectural Education Foundation, and look forward to their ongoing support and involvement serving Colorado’s architecture community. 

Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded over $1 million in scholarships, grants, and awards to more than 250 recipients. The AEF is more than just an educational fund—it’s a lifeline for aspiring architects and educators, providing the support they need to explore new ideas and push the boundaries of architectural practice.

Every donation to the AEF fuels the future of architectural innovation. Whether it’s helping a student return to school or funding groundbreaking research, each contribution empowers the next generation of architects to design the world we live in.

Contributions not only advance the profession today but also help build a lasting legacy in the field of architecture. Make your secure donation here and help create a lasting impact. 

View AEF website.

Looking for Additional Resources?

Allied Members are better known as trusted industry colleagues and members of AIA Colorado—they’re the interior designers, the kitchen specialists, the engineering partners, and more who make up our AEC community in Colorado.
View AIA Colorado’s Allied Member Directory.

Helpful Links:

• Contact AIA Colorado Staff
• AIA Colorado Calendar
• AIA Colorado News and Articles

AIA Colorado Firm Directory

• Add your firm to the directory here.

Save the Dates:

• 2025 Design + Honor Awards
  • Celebration Event: September 18th, at Tivoli Turnhalle in Denver, CO.
  • Buy your tickets here.
  • Sponsorship
• 2025 AIA Colorado Practice + Design Conference
  • Expo Hall is open
  • September 1 – October 31: attendee registration is open
  • November 12-14, 2025 at Keystone Conference Center, Keystone, CO.
  • Sponsorship