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Colorado architects, the City of Denver, and Buildner, a leading global design competition platform, have announced the 10 winning entries in Denver’s Affordable Housing Challenge.
The competition attracted 148 qualified submissions from around the world. Entrants explored how affordability, sustainability, and design excellence can be combined to create innovative housing solutions tailored to Denver’s local context. Submissions were reviewed by a jury of globally renowned architects, City of Denver leaders, and affordable housing developers.
re FRAME delivers a community-focused homeownership model that places six CLT-built homes on a single lot with shared courtyards, adaptable layouts, and sustainable, cost-saving design strategies.
Below is a Q+A with the winning team, originally submitted to Buildner.
Q. Please share how you three met, where you work now, and what led to your teaming up.
We met during orientation for the Master of Architecture program at the University of Colorado Denver. Although we didn’t have the opportunity to formally work together as a group during graduate school, we consistently leaned on one another for brainstorming, feedback, and design critiques. Since graduating, we’ve gone on to work at Sopher Sparn Architects, Populous, and Locus Architecture. This design competition provided the perfect opportunity to finally collaborate more closely, allowing us to bring together our shared academic foundation and diverse professional experiences into a single design effort.
Q. Brief information about the projects that each of you have been involved with. For instance, what scale have you focused on/preferred, any significant projects you have been involved with that are shaping these early stages of your careers?
Meghan: I have enjoyed the problem solving aspect of projects at every phase. From affordable housing across the country to science facilities in Antarctica, using constraints as an opportunity for creativity has led to meaningful projects that prioritize clients’ needs. It also creates a dynamic career pushing me to constantly ask questions, learn quickly, work collaboratively, and push boundaries.
Maggie: I have worked on projects at a variety of scales, ranging from high-end residential work to adaptive reuse projects, community centers, and park buildings. These experiences have been formative, exposing me to different project types, contexts, and design challenges. Each project has offered opportunities to learn new skills and perspectives, and I continue to build on these experiences as part of an ongoing process of growth and learning.
Sean: While I began my career in single-family residential design, the majority of my professional experience has been in large-scale athletics and event architecture. Notable projects include single-assignment events such as the Men’s Final Four and FIFA FanFest , as well as multi-sport events like the Warrior Games and the Olympics. Working at this scale has taught me the value of simplicity, sensibility, and practicality for both clients and end users, while giving me the freedom to express my design sensibilities through graphics and cartography.
Q. As you’ve chosen this career, what does architecture mean to each of you? What has attracted you to this career path?
Meghan: Architecture is a balance. It is a balance of ideas like artistic expression and pragmatism, the natural and built environment, resources and possibility. It is advocating for a balance of clients’, consultants’, partners’, builders’, and communities’ priorities. I was attracted to architecture because of the collaborative teamwork, creative problem solving, and the positive change a project can make on a community.
Maggie: I chose architecture as a way to make a meaningful impact on the world around me. I am drawn to its ability to improve people’s lives, shape lived experiences, and support a more responsible relationship with the environment. I also value that the profession is one of constant learning; every project presents new challenges, opportunities for creative problem-solving, and a chance to grow, improve, and expand my understanding of design and the world around me.
Sean: I have always enjoyed the concept of how architecture can impact the way people feel. Growing up I had the pleasure of being exposed to nuance planning systems and unique architectural designs, and seeing that propelled me into looking at how we can subvert boundaries in the built environment. I have lived by the statement that if you do what you love you’ll never work a day in your life, and I love designing spaces.
Q. Seeing as this was a collaborative submission, generally speaking what was your process?
Because this was a collaborative submission, our process was rooted in leveraging the diversity of our professional experiences. Each of us works in a different area of the profession, which allows us to contribute complementary skills, interests, and perspectives. While in graduate school, we frequently supported one another by talking through ideas, challenges, and design decisions for our individual projects, so transitioning into a true collaborative workflow felt natural. That established trust and shared design language helped us move efficiently from individual concept development through group refinement, resulting in a cohesive and well-rounded proposal.
Q. Why do you participate in this architecture competition? Planning to enter competitions again in the future?
We’re drawn to architecture competitions because they offer a unique space for creative exploration outside the constraints of day-to-day practice. For this competition in particular, we loved the strong local connection. Since we all live and work in Denver, it felt especially meaningful to engage with a project rooted in our own community in an area of work that we find very meaningful. It also provided a fun, low-stakes opportunity to finally collaborate more directly and test ideas that might not emerge in our professional roles. The experience was energizing and rewarding, and we would absolutely welcome the chance to continue entering competitions together in the future.
Q. What are your overall thoughts on the results of this competition now that you’ve had a chance to review additional submissions?
We were struck by the wide range of thoughtful approaches to addressing affordable housing. It was inspiring to see shared themes emerge across projects at such varied scales – particularly the emphasis on community spaces, innovative construction methods such as CLT, and the creative revitalization of interstitial spaces. We are truly honored that our project was selected as a winner and feel incredibly grateful to be included among such an impressive group of work.
Learn more about the Denver Affordable Housing Competition: