UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER YASSER EL MASRI, PH.D
Presentation boards for studio 6 integration Spring 2025
Bay 1 (Red) : Peikko Beam, Standard Column, Slanted Column, Foundation Wall, Foundation
Bay 2 (Orange) : Peikko Beam, Standard Column, Slanted Column, Footing
Bay 3 (Blue) Peikko Beam, Standard Column, Slanted Column, Footing
Bay 4 (Green) Peikko Beam, Standard Column, Slanted Column, Footing
Bay 5 (Brown) Peikko Beam, Standard Column, Slanted Column, Foundation Wall, Foundation
CROSSROADS HOTEL
CONCEPT STATEMENT
Our design approach challenges the typical hotel layout by focusing on active shared spaces instead of just private guest rooms. Most hotels are designed with private rooms as the main feature, while common areas are treated as add-ons. In contrast, we make social connection and a sense of community the main focus by rethinking how the hotel is organized. Usually, hotels place public spaces like the lobby on the ground fl oor and stack the private rooms above. This setup often keeps guests apart and limits opportunities tomeet and interact.
In our boutique hotel, public and private spaces are spread throughout the building. Lounges, work areas, and dining spaces are placed next to guest rooms to create more chances for people to connect. These shared areas become the center of the hotel’s experience, encouraging conversation, creativity, and cultural exchange.
By breaking down the usual divide between private and shared spaces, we create a more inviting and social hotel experience. Guests move through a layout that blends personal comfort with community, leading to a more memorable and meaningful stay.
CONCEPT THESIS
In this studio, we are tasked with investigating and understanding the idea of heterotopia and applying it to the design of a boutique hotel. As a liminal space, the hotel exists as an architectural artifact suspended between the known and the unknown—what Anthony Vidler refers to as the “architectural uncanny.”
Through detailed analysis, we will explore the opportunities and constraints of a precast system across diff erent aspects of our design. By using precast concrete, we aim to create a boutique hotel that is both aesthetic and high-quality in design, while also being cost-effi cient and logistcally streamlined in construction.
By utilizing repeatable beam, column, fl oor, and wall assemblies, we strive to strike a balance between high design and cost-eff ective construction.
ROOM PLANS ROOM ELEVATIONS
HOTEL GROTTO
DESIGNED BY SHANE HOCHMUTH AND MATTHEW EPPERLY
EXISTING SITE CONDITIONS
The site, located at 17th and Blake streets, falls under the D-LD zone, although as a studio we opted to design using D-C zone requirements. D-C has no setback requirements, and no height limit, with a 60% buildto requirement. This leaves a bulk plane of the full 100’x125’ site with theoretically unlimitted height.
PROPOSED SITE CONDITIONS
Our material response to the site involved the use of concrete panels, glass apertures, and wood slat walls spaced 6” o.c. By having the skin be largely opaque, with various sized apertures into the units, and a large, 2 story aperture connecting with the event space, we were able to achieve a dual experience between exterior and interior, as well as allowing different spaces to be passively lit at different times of day. The large aperture facing 17th street would bring in high amounts of afternoon light, with the slat wall beyond diffusing that light before it enters the atrium. A large skylight over the atrium also passively lights the central region of the building.
Above: the structural system is comprised of precast columns 30” in diameter and precast beams 18”x30” in section. Columns are organized in a 4x5 grid, and beams sit atop the columns in a regular grid where possible, with the exception being when the floor plate voids don’t allow. In this case, transfer beams and hollow core floor structure manage the interior cantilevers. The large exterior cantilever in the round volume is supported by a 24”x48” transfer beam running diagonally across the grid. This beam also supports 3 smaller, perpendicular beams which hold up the exterior panels.
Right: For HVAC we’ve spec’d a DOAS for ventilation, and a VRF system for heating and cooling. Each guest room has it’s own control unit in the VRF, as well as unique spaces such as the kitchen and gym. Using VRF will allow us to recapture waste heat from facilities like the laundry room and the kitchen to heat other spaces.
THE BEACON
The Beacon reimagines the historic Evans School as a vessel for creative production and public engagement. Through a bold yet respectful architectural intervention, the project introduces two cantilevered volumes that puncture the third floor and attic, forming a continuous spatial sequence. This addition activates the upper levels of the building and establishes a dialogue between historic permanence and contemporary momentum.
Aligned with the pedestrian axis linking the Denver Art Museum promenade to Acoma Street, the addition reinforces urban connectivity while offering a curated journey: beginning in a transparent social space, moving through artist studios, and culminating in gallery spaces. This linear procession mirrors the creative process—gathering, making, and showcasing—inviting the public to witness the transformation of ideas into art.
INTEGRATION SEMINAR
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER YASSER EL MASRI, PH.D
Presentation boards for studio 6 integration Spring 2025
JAIME SOTO ABDULLAH ALRUMAIHI
Presentation boards for studio 6 integration Spring 2025
Material Inovation
A key feature of the project is its use of 100% post-industrial recycled aluminum, sourced from local scrap. These blocks are polished, sliced and crafted into light-modulating shelves that regulate indirect sunlight into the studios and galleries. This system minimizes glare, reduces the need for artificial lighting, and enhances the spatial quality of each program zone.
The recycled aluminum contributes to a carbon-reductive design by diverting waste, avoiding high-emission material production, and reducing the building’s overall embodied carbon. The use of modular components also minimizes construction waste and supports a scalable installation method.
PROGRAM INTEGRATION
The addition introduces a new public-facing program that supports creative work, gathering, and display—activating the third oor and attic with layered, connected experiences.
STUDIO ATTIC LEVEL 3RD LEVEL 2ND LEVEL
BALCONY
GALLERY
EVENT HALL
STRUCTURAL SYSTEM
PRIMARY BEAMS
10X10 HSS
SECONDARY BEAMS 8X6 HSS
COLUMNS 10X10 HSS
ANCHORING COLUMNS 10X10 HSS
STAY CABLE ANCHORAGE
7X7 FOOTING
6X6 FOOTING
ATRIUM
CIRCULATION
Presentation boards for studio 6 integration Spring 2025
MATERIAL INVESTIGATIONS
Program & Engagement
The Evans Collective
CHANDLER RASMUSSEN STUDIO 6 SPRING 2025
The Evans School expansion will honor its historic architecture while integrating net-zero construction through recycled brick, energy efficient systems, and passive design strategies. It will create flexible community maker spaces including a woodshop, glass blowing studio , and recycling center, bridging the disconnect between the showcase of art and the creation of art reinforcing the site as a working, teaching, and learning hub.
Presentation boards for studio 6 integration Spring 2025
The Bridge
A multi-generational community in the heart of Denver
ABE MARTIN & IRINA MURPHY
Located in the heart of Denver, near the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, this project serves as a bridge between generations. Designed to connect retired performing arts professionals with the broader community, the building fosters mentorship and the sharing of knowledge through teaching and performance. It becomes a space where the performing arts community and the surrounding neighborhood come together—uniting past experience with future creativity.
SITE ANALYSIS
AURARIA
Presentation boards for studio 6 integration Spring 2025
VRF OUTDOOR UNIT
SORAL ARRAY DOAS
GEO-THERMAL COILS
HEAT PUMP
RADIANT HEAT FLOORS
HVAC DIAGRAM
SOLAR STUDY
boards for studio 6 integration Spring 2025
Filtered reclaimed rainwater from the cistern is used to power an evaporative cooling system. This strategy takes advantage of Denver’s dry climate, to cool the building with minimal energy use. This system is supplemented by a heat pump, which provides additional cooling during peak summer temperatures and supplies efficient heating in the colder months, creating a sustainable climate control strategy year-round.
WATER COLLECTION
Water is collected from gable roofs and roofs with parapets by directing rainfall through gutters and downspouts into a drainage system. From there, the water is funneled into an underground cistern, where it is stored and processed through filtration and treatment systems for use throughout the building.
MASRI,
WATER SYSTEM
Water stored in the underground cistern is pumped through a filtration system and a system that adds nutrients, which allows it to be used in a hydroponic growing system and a water feature that is integrated into the second floor. After circulating through these systems, the water is collected and returned to the cistern, creating a cycle.
boards for studio 6 integration Spring 2025
INTEGRATION SEMINAR
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER YASSER EL
MASRI, PH.D
Presentation boards for studio 6 integration Spring 2025
INTEGRATION SEMINAR
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER YASSER EL MASRI, PH.D
Presentation boards for studio 6 integration Spring 2025
/ Below
Concept
Rooted in Denver’s RiNo Arts District, this urban farm and restaurant weaves food production, scientific inquiry, and culinary experience into a vertically integrated structure. Below grade, a climate-stable mushroom farm anchors the project in darkness and growth, while the ground floor hydroponic lab thrives in transparency and circulation. Rising above, the second-floor restaurant offers a refined, hyper-local dining experience that connects guests directly to the living systems below. This architectural ecosystem explores reciprocity between agriculture and urban life—dense, adaptive, and grounded in place.
Presentation boards for studio 6 integration Spring 2025
Studio VI
Blake Brooks
Joey Colella
THE GENERAL STORE
REINVENTING HOW OLD + NEW CONSTRUCTS COLLABORATE
Historically, General Stores provided more than just a place to trade goods. They offered opportunities to socialize, share, and create community connections.
In this project, the General Store is presented through a new archetype. It’s imagined as a curated community experience in a dense urban context. Space and materiality encourage localization of regenerative nutrition, health (physical/mental) and social practices to elevate and promote well-being and improved quality of life.
The project synthesizes historic architecture-, culinary-, and life-style concepts with new technologies, material invention, and changing societal needs. Physical atmospheres are sequenced through sensory engagement that encourage the user to see, feel, touch, taste and live the Everyday in more elevated manners.
As you can see from the sun hours diagram above, the roof of the proposed project would have adequate lighting throught the year to support solar panels. In the winter and summer months the hours are extremely high and would be suitable to supporting high cooling and heating loads. The solar panels (right) would be placed towards the northwest and could pivot during the year to maximize the amount of sun gathered.
PROGRAM DIAGRAM
MATERIALS DIAGRAM SITE PLAN
EXISTING CONDITIONS PROPOSED CONDITIONS
LONG SECTION
Most floors use a wood joist system throughout. This supports the radiant flooring and can provide limited space for ducting and electrical systems.
The second floor is open web steel joist with a Hambro Top Chord attachment to the 3” concrete slab. The second floor supports a greenspace system with planters throughout. The open web also allows for the passage of air ducts and electrical systems thoughout the main floor.
The sky bridge uses a Mansard Truss system to maintain a “floating” appearance for larger spans. There are also the Art Neuveu-inspired bridge supports at intervals away from the main structure to provide additional support. The arch supports are made from 3D printing processes.
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING: 3D PRINTING WITH
Additive manufacturing allows for the creation of detailed embellishments at varying scales with increased efficiency.
One can maintain strength in additive manufacturing with the use of recycled materials: scrap steel powder mixed with carbon fiber polymer.
The prototype (below) is a 3D printed steel capital from the Ribbon Bridge Supports (Art Nouveau style, as seen above).
- Robotic processes have precedence in modern architecture (below).
EVANS SCHOOL ADAPTIVE REUSE
Concept Statement
The Evans School Adaptive Reuse Project explores the dynamic relationship between preservation and invention, weaving together the historic fabric of the building with new architectural interventions. The design transforms the former school into a vibrant, collaborative hub for creative production, cultural exchange, and artisan growth. As an incubator for Denver’s creative community, the project cultivates meaningful engagement and growth by creating spaces that honor the past while opening pathways for new architectural possibilities
Thesis
This project explores the challenges and opportunities inherent in the adaptive reuse of historic buildings, specifically addressing the architectural challenge of preserving cultural and material heritage while meeting contemporary functional, social, and environmental demands. Centered on the renovation of Denver’s historic Evans School, the project negotiates the delicate boundary between conservation and transformation. The design honors the building’s Beaux-Arts facade and ornamental integrity while selectively deconstructing interior elements to accommodate modern accessibility, community programming, and sustainability goals.
A key intervention involves the strategic removal of bricks from the North and South facades to introduce lightfilled, naturally ventilated atrium spaces that enhance vertical circulation and foster cross-level interaction. Salvaged brick from this process is repurposed into a double-skin brick panel system that reinforces the attic structure and supports a reimagined exhibition space. By integrating material reuse, passive climate strategies, and spatial reorganization, the proposal reframes the Evans School as a dynamic civic anchor— one that preserves its architectural legacy while catalyzing new forms of community engagement.
INTEGRATION SEMINAR
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER YASSER EL MASRI, PH.D
Presentation boards for studio 6 integration Spring 2025
A column grid spans all floors which supports different sized precast beams. The ground floor and parking garage floors are made up of double T’s, and the upper floors are made up of hollowcore slabs. A large transfer beam spans from the third floor to the second floor to support the large staircase that seemingly floats above the entryway.
THE TARTAN HOTEL
CONCEPT STATEMENT
Our boutique hotel in Denver reimagines the potential of precast concrete by embracing its efficiency and repeatability while challenging the monotony often associated with modular construction. Rather than relying on a traditional, uniform grid, the design introduces a tartan grid—a system of layered, overlapping grids that vary in spacing and rhythm. This approach creates a sense of both order and controlled irregularity, establishing a structural framework that is both functional and expressive. The tartan grid informs the placement of the building’s columns, allowing for subtle shifts and variations that break free from a rigid, repetitive pattern.
These structural shifts are not purely aesthetic; they directly shape the spatial experience within the hotel. The dynamic grid creates zones where spaces expand and contract, responding to different programmatic needs. Utilizing the largest spacings within the tartan grid to accommodate our largest rooms and suites, giving them a sense of openness and prominence. The medium grid spaces were dedicated to ADA-accessible rooms, ensuring generous circulation and adaptability. In contrast, splitting the largest grid spacing in half to create a smaller module, optimizing it for our standard rooms, and efficiently using the structural logic to balance intimacy and density.
Public spaces such as lobbies, lounges, and gathering areas also benefit from the openness afforded by the wider structural spans, while the more compact zones create cozy, private moments throughout the hotel. This relationship between structure and space fosters an environment where guests experience variety, surprise, and a sense of discovery as they move through the building.
By allowing the structural system to guide both spatial and experiential qualities, the design blurs the line between architecture and structure. The precast concrete elements provide durability and efficiency and contribute to the hotel’s aesthetic identity, proving that repetition can be both efficient and expressive, creating a dynamic, thoughtful, and memorable guest experience.
THESIS
The Tartan Hotel uses a tartan grid system to rethink how precast concrete can shape space, moving beyond repetitive modular design. By letting the structure guide room sizes and layouts, the building creates a more varied and engaging experience for guests.
CODE STUDY
Original Zoning Code for site was classified as D-LD-UO1. To avoid the Historic District classification which requires board review for a variety of design decisions, we were instructed by Professor Matt Shea to switch to D-C classification.
Zoning Code: D-C-UO1 (Downtown Core)
Height Limit: D-C zoning code does not provide a height limit.
Bulk Plane:
General Building dimension shall not extend past bulk plane unless permitted via Article 10, 8.10.1, Design Standard Exceptions.
Build-To % (According to 8.3.1.6) “1. Within the area bounded by the centerlines of 14th Street, 18th Street, Broadway and Colfax and
WAIVERS CONDITIONSUO-1
INTEGRATION SEMINAR
Presentation boards for studio 6 integration Spring 2025
INTEGRATION SEMINAR
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER YASSER EL MASRI, PH.D
Presentation boards for studio 6 integration Spring 2025
Urban Sanctuary
Urban environments can be categorized as loud, fast paced, and overwhelming. In contrast, urban environments are also dense with people, diversity, and ideas. In this project, two buildings within one site are woven together to create spaces that support and enhance the community. Providing a residency for people to create, practice, and teach the craft of textiles, these two buildings in opposition work together, woven into the fabric of the surrounding community. One side of the site presents a space of reflection, nurturing the individual, and the other side of the site presents a space of community, amplifying their voice. Stitched together, this project creates an Urban Sanctuary, demonstrating craft within a community.
Presentation boards for studio 6 integration Spring 2025
boards for studio 6 integration Spring 2025
GALLERY VIGNETTE
Urban Santuary
Santuary for Reflection
Located on the western edge of the site, the Inner Sanctuary offers a quiet refuge for reflection, study, and connection. This building serves as a home away from home for visitors, thoughtfully designed to foster a sense of belonging, peace, and introspection. The sanctuary includes a series of libraries and designated study areas that encourage focused learning, alongside communal spaces for shared meals and social interaction.
At the heart of the building lies a central reflection space— an architectural pause point that invites stillness and clarity. Nestled within a garden setting, the sanctuary is immersed in nature, creating a deeply biophilic and wellness-oriented environment. Natural light, calming materials, and layered greenery come together to promote emotional, mental, and physical well-being for all who enter.
SEMINAR
Oppositions
The site presents a unique dialogue of oppositions. Being Intersected by the Cherry Creek regional trail, the site offers two distinct spaces each with their own opportunities and weaknesses. Additionally, the site sits on the edge of the Auraria campus .. and the downtown commercial district, allowing it to both connect and separate these two areas.
for studio 6 integration Spring 2025
Biophylic Spaces
This project embraces the ethos of Eco-Brutalism, representing a compelling bridge between raw material expression and ecological sensitivity. Rather than positioning nature and concrete as opposing forces, the design demonstrates their potential to coexist in a symbiotic relationship. It proves that the sculptural strength of concrete can be softened and enriched by green spaces, passive design strategies, and intentional moments of calm.
At the heart of the design are cascading garden terraces that not only promote urban biodiversity but also contribute to passive cooling and spatial layering throughout the structure. These planted levels serve as both functional and contemplative zones, blurring the line between architecture and landscape. At the building’s core lies an inner reflection pool—a serene, recessed element that anchors the space in stillness and invites introspection. It creates a microclimate of quietude, offering respite within the architectural form and reinforcing the project’s commitment to sensory and spatial wellness.
Concrete
Concrete
Concrete
Abhinav Sahariah
INTEGRATION SEMINAR
Presentation boards for studio 6 integration Spring 2025
Site Analysis Design and Optimization
Fire Exit and Egress
Accesible Lavatories and Refuge
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Detail 1
boards for studio 6 integration Spring 2025
West Elevation Housing
East Elevation Museum
Labatory Rendering
Dorm Rendering
INTEGRATION SEMINAR
Presentation boards for studio 6 integration Spring 2025
The Rocky Mountain Research Center
Thesis Statement:
Michael Hirsch
Water has always been one of the most important forces shaping the landscape, history, and life of Colorado and the Rocky Mountains. From carving deep canyons and forming alpine lakes to supporting forests, farms, cities, and wildlife, water is at the heart of everything in this region. The Denver Water Research Center is dedicated to exploring the many ways water influences Colorado—where it comes from, how it moves through the mountains and plains, and how it connects people, ecosystems, and communities. The Center brings together scientists, students, historians, policymakers, and the public to study Colorado’s unique water systems and to share knowledge that can help solve real world problems. This includes learning from the past—how Indigenous peoples, settlers, and engineers shaped water use—and looking toward the future, as the state faces serious challenges like climate change, drought, wildfires, and population growth. By offering research, education, and outreach, the Denver Water Research Center helps people understand how water has shaped the Rockies over time and how we can protect this vital resource for future generations.
Setback: No Limit, min. set back at 20’
Max allowed figure: No limit, ~35,000 ft2 of ~145,000 ft2 (about 24%) of site is used
Max height: Public = 3 stories for 2A construction type, 2 stories at 16’ each, 32’ total height
Private = 12 stories, 2 stories at 16’ each, 32’ total height
Construction Type: Steel frame with green roof
Public = Type II-A: Non-combustible, 1-hour fire-rated structural elements, fully sprinklered
Private = Type I-A: fully non-combustible and sprinklered
Occupancy Type: Public Side (Mixed) Occupancy Groups - Museum: Group A-3, Classrooms: Group E, Auditorium: Group A-1, Research Lab: Group B
Private Side = Residential: R-2
Occupant Load: Public Side
Space Type Factor (sq ft/person) Approx. Load
Auditorium 7 (fixed seat), 15 (assembly) 85
Classrooms 20–30 40–60
Museum 30 100–200
Lab/Research 100 ~20–40
TOTAL ~ 300 occupants
Private Side, 2/3 occupants per unit max, 36 occupants max
Egress: Public Side, egress travel distance = sprinklered throughout with 250 ft max
Private Side, egress travel distance = sprinklered throughout with 250 max
Exits: 2 minimum for each side, public = 4, private = 2
Fire Protection: Public = fire rated walls of 1-hr required between different occupancy types in the same building, automatic sprinkler system and alarms throughout both public and private buildings
Private = illuminated fire and exit signs throughout the building, sprinklered system and alarms required in each unit and common spaces
Accessibility:
Public = fully accessible circulation, restrooms, classrooms, and public galleries
auditorium has companion seating, assistive listening, accessible routes to stage/platform
Private = 5% of units required accessible, 1/12 units provided is accessible
FEEDBACK LOOP
INTEGRATION
INSTRUCTOR:
GROUP MEMBERS: STEPHANIE CLOUSE, MIKAYLA GRUNIN, MAGGIE KRANTZ
CONCEPT STATEMENT/THESIS
We belive in the power of the seed.
A single seed holds the memory of nourishment, the blueprint of ecosystems, and the potential to transform concrete into life. In the heart of the city we reclaim forgotten spaces and sow futures rooted in care, community, and regeneration. We are closing the loop.
A system where nothing is wasted and everything has a purpose. Our farm regenerates its own soil, collects its own water, produces its own energy, and grows food that feeds bodies, minds, and spirits. Waste becomes compost. Compost becomes soil. Soil becomes nourishment. The cycle is whole.
We are planting knowledge.
Our programming is the core of our ecosystem. We teach children to plant seeds and imagine futures. We welcome elders to share wisdom from lived traditions. We host workshops, skillshares, and open kitchens for everyone - from the curious beginner to the seasoned grower. We believe food literacy is a right, not a luxury.
We reject disonnection.
In urban centers, food arrives plastic-wrapped, pre-washed, and anonymous. We are here to change that. We reconnect consumers with growers, meals with seasons, and people with place. We create transparency from seed to plate and bring agriculture back into daily life.
