DENVER, CO - Saunders was awarded Contractor of the Year at the Hispanic Contractors Council of Colorado Awards Banquet on Saturday, March 3, 2012. Numerous participants from the construction industry attended the 22nd annual event. The banquet included great food, entertainment, and networking. Congratulations to all of the winners.

BOULDER, CO - The University of Colorado Boulder's new Center for Community has earned LEED Platinum Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. The project encompasses 297,000 square feet, with a 350 car parking structure located below the building. The Center for Community Building includes 13 different dining venues, a commercial kitchen sized to produce 1.2 million meals a year, student club meeting rooms, resident life administrative office space, open classroom space, meeting rooms, exterior plazas and seating areas, and much needed additional parking space.

"For such a complex, technical building, this is no small feat and serves as a testament to the many team members whose vision, hard work, technical expertise, collaboration and dedication made this possible.  This high performing building will return dividends on the initial capital investment for many years to come."

- Paul Leaf, ALA LEED AP,  Campus Architect, University of Colorado Boulder

The Zuni Grand Re-Opening Open House will be held on March 3, 2012 located at 2900 Zuni Street in Denver. With fully recycled chairs, a fun use of seatbelts and the raddest bathroom wall paper you have ever seen, this is unlike any other garage. Join us for tours, snacks and some great Teatulia tea from our own TBar. For more information visit: www.greengarage.com.

DENVER, Colo. (November 14, 2011) – On November 10th, the employees of DaVita and Saunders Construction held a "topping off" ceremony for the new headquarters of the kidney care company by placing the final beam on the north corner of the 256,400 square-foot 14-story high structure in Denver’s Central Platte Valley, just west of historic LoDo (Lower Downtown).  The ceremony celebrated the completion of the highest part of the building, which was designed by MOA Architecture. 

The completed facility will accommodate almost 1,000 workers and will serve as a training site for the company, a program it calls "DaVita University." The new headquarters will incorporate many features promoting the company’s "team" culture. This includes: roof top exterior terraces, four interior seasonal gardens, a top level marketplace, community spaces, large employee training area, and a student union.  In addition, the top floor and corners will be devoted as employee spaces, not private offices.

"It’s appropriate to celebrate the end of this phase of the construction process with our great team, as it’s their hard work that has successfully brought us to this point," said Greg Schmidt, President of Saunders Construction.  As of the topping off ceremony, more than 34 million pounds of concrete have been used on the structure. In addition 17,370 tons of reinforcing steel has been installed.  A Douglas-fir tree was also placed at the top of the structure. This is a tradition that symbolizes that the project has proceeded well, without injury, and serves as a symbol of good luck moving forward. DaVita plans to open the new headquarters in July of 2012.

Photo courtesy of Eric Vogel, MOA ARCHITECTURE.

Tilt-Up Concrete Association Recognizes Work on High Point Academy

CENTENNIAL, CO – The building team of Saunders Construction and SLATERPAULL Architects received an Excellence in Achievement Award from the Tilt-Up Concrete Association (TCA) for the creativity, quality and ingenuity they demonstrated in their use of tilt-up construction in the design of High Point Academy’s new facility in Aurora.

In designing the new facility, Saunders and SLATERPAULL decided to utilize the tilt-up concrete approach because it is cost-effective, accelerates the construction schedule, promotes energy efficiency, and allows flexibility in creating unique forms and shapes that are not possible with other types of construction.
“Time was really of the essence,” says Jim MacKinnon, Senior Preconstruction Manager at Saunders.  “The project absolutely had to be completed in time for the children to return to school. Tilt-up construction was the best way to accomplish that goal, and it also adds much in terms of creative options. I think it’s that adaptability that made this project an award winner.”

The process of building with tilt-up construction involves various steps. First, the concrete walls are formed and placed on site. All window openings, doors, and wall designs are incorporated from the beginning. When the walls are cured, the contractor uses a crane to lift each panel into place. The panels are supported vertically with steel braces until the roof structure is put in place. Ultimately, the roof holds all of the panels together.
SLATERPAULL architect Gwen Gilley commented, “Both Saunders Construction and SLATERPAULL are very proud of receiving this award. We worked closely together to create a design for the school that identified the building as a place where children learn. We feel that this award acknowledges the creative effort behind the construction material on this project, and we are thrilled that our efforts have been rewarded.”

Each year, the TCA honors those organizations, people and projects that have successfully illustrated the variety, beauty and flexibility of tilt-up construction. High Point Academy is a free public charter school serving students in preschool through eighth grade. The facility includes 34 classrooms, support offices, and library. It also supports the school’s unique learning opportunities with elements such as a wellness classroom with a full kitchen, a fully-equipped science lab, and innovative outdoor spaces. The building prioritizes energy savings with features such as maximized day-lighting and motion-sensor lights. Construction on the facility was completed in December of 2010.

About Saunders Construction, Inc.
Saunders Construction, Inc. serves the commercial building industry as a full-service general contractor and construction manager.  A leader in the Colorado construction industry since its inception in 1972, Saunders’ experience includes a wide range of project types. Saunders is one of the region’s largest general contractors and is the recipient of more than 100 industry awards for its construction excellence, employee achievements, and community contributions.  In addition, Saunders is a member of the Citadel Group – an alliance of seven regional construction-related companies with operations in 19 cities. http://www.saundersci.com/

About SLATERPAULL Architects
SLATERPAULL Architects is a Denver-based architecture practice celebrating nearly forty years in business. A leader in the design of educational spaces and historic preservation, SLATERPAULL Architects is dedicated to creating community-enhancing environments that reflect the firm's commitment to 'Design for a Sustainable Future.' For more information, visit www.SLATERPAULL.com.

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