Denver
Single-Stair
Housing Challenge

Being a single-stair competition, the knee-jerk reaction is to make the project about expressing the stair, but the focus here is the livability of the units. The free standing circulation core creates opportunities for daylight and ventilation in every habitable room, for every unit. This scheme embraces the site's width, with two slender blocks reducing the urban scale. The ground floor has a welcoming vibe and protected open spaces that will feel sheltered in winter, and shady and open in the summer. I would reopen the thinking about what the property line facade materials are--it looks to be concrete and as such is an unnecessary carbon expenditure, when the application is better suited for mass timber. Kitchens are generally undersized and the studios could have been one bedrooms with a partition separating sleeping from entry. The facade proportions and screens are elegant but could be further refined. The facade's planters could have been stretched to be habitable balconies.

The design features elegant, exquisitely crafted aesthetics and graphic representation. The experience within the stair is elevated through natural light and the integration of greenery. A central void space serves as a simple and effective device to greatly improve the livability of residents in all units by introducing more building corners and exterior facades, thereby increasing access to light, air, and views. The double-skin façade performs a dual function, reducing solar heat gain while allowing residents to customize their environment through movable screens and opportunities for planting. Unit plans are thoughtfully developed to maximize connection to light, air, and views. Additionally, the introduction of a ground-floor commercial space is important for fostering a connection to the neighborhood.

The project has a good unit mix, and smart plans that allow daylight on opposite sides. The utilization of zero lot lines for sideyard setbacks allows employment of typologies found in south and central american, but rare in the US. smart approach to allow for wider units and pair with courtyard voids.

This project exemplifies thoughtful design, with a beautiful human scale facade that strikes a perfect balance between traditional and modern unique details. Every aspect of design from context and orientation to the flow of the floor plans feels meticulously considered, resulting in a design that is not only highly functional but also deeply compelling. Its beauty and believability make it the kind of project one would hope to see built in their own neighborhood. The carefully curated material palette further elevates the design, adding richness and depth. This level of refinement makes it a standout deserving of recognition.

With a massing that is sensitive to the neighborhood scale and materials inspired by the local context, Brick and Bloom naturally fits in on the street.A clean and understated facade creates an inviting public face and inside the building residents enjoy units that all face multiple orientations to take advantage of the single vertical means of egress.

Brick and Bloom’s choice of materials catches your eye. However, it is the innovative way that the designers utilize those materials, design and architecture. There are other passive energy designs in this competition but this participant more clearly presented a convincing passive energy design for Denver's very volatile climate without sacrificing shared private spaces for residents.

The project plays off of the massing possibilities with a single stair. It has good unit layouts, and the project ensures nearly all units are corner or triple aspect, allowing for better daylight and ventilation. It features a wide variety of outdoor spaces - courtyard, private balconies, roof garden. It yields a good unit mix for a wide variety of residents.

The use of brick and why it was used, is really well done on this scheme. Though I feel that the side placement of the core impacts the capacity for open space and daylight from more sides of the units.

This is a nice proposal with thoughtful integration of egress and circulation related to safety requirements while also creating a different building massing and unit types with shared common areas. The one challenge with this scheme is that it appears to be a very costly prototype that may limit affordability.

This project excels in its thoughtful integration of local context, safety, and sustainability. The reference to the iconic Red Rocks and fire safety ties the design to its surroundings and cultural context in a meaningful way, creating a strong sense of place. The emphasis on fire safety is especially commendable, addressing a critical concern with well-considered design strategies. Additionally, the combination of Passive House principles with modular construction showcases an innovative and forward-thinking approach to cost effective efficiency and sustainability.

Red Rock Rising is an ebullient mashup. I appreciate bringing all these ideas together, even if it isn't always harmonious. The street and alley halves read as two buildings, and the canyon central stair could be tightened up to create more intentional space for neighbors.The multigenerational unit mix is admirable and the commitment to passive house/modular construction is commendable. There is an intentional sense of this as an urban building, as part of a lively changing cityscape, which makes it feel like it would be a good neighbor despite not trying to fit in.

This project has a lot to offer but it feels a bit too much like a commercial asset which would generate pushback from the neighborhood character contingency. I also worry about capital needs in the future with the exterior elements requiring costly maintenance. I do appreciate the attention to safety and appreciate the submission as a whole.

The design features a simple, clear massing and organizational strategy with an elegant aesthetic. Well-considered uses for flexible semi-public “nooks” create a joyful sense of community. The placement of private spaces, such as bedrooms and bathrooms, on corners, outside walls, and adjacent to semi-public nooks is questioned for its impact on functionality and privacy. Additionally, the necessity of density reduction for life safety is examined, raising the question of how to optimize fire department access while balancing the need for urban density and affordability.

I really appreciate the rationale for this one and the thoughtfulness of the staircase arriving at opposite levels. The amount of glazing is really nice, and the feel of the units is really well done. The use of heavy timber was quite nice including wood as a cladding element. I do have concerns on the long term appropriateness of the cladding. I also thought more attention to accessibility and inclusivity could have occurred.

Stunning concept. An excellent design that is creative, yet practical for its use of prefab and modular timber. I love the circular design. This is where Denver needs to go: this is innovation; this is the future, if we allow it. A wonderful concept that has the wow factor.

A good scheme with social orientation and thoughtful consideration of stair and egress code as a formative aspect of the proposal.

There is a continuity of the landscape from public plaza, to the central core and to the roof top garden that feels like more than the sum of its parts. The plans, sections, and tectonics are well resolved and I'd love to live in a country where this optimistic unit mix was the norm. I wonder what the north side is hiding: the challenge with new buildings of this scale is that they'll stand alone as an object in the urban landscape for a generation. The stainless steel facade seems out of touch with the intensity of the Colorado sun.

Beyond the Invisible's single stair design is used to create a dynamic design with a bold shape, embrace of nature, and warm interior spaces.The use of natural materials contrasts a bold building form while the building program informs thoughtful articulation that create inviting and useful spaces.Importantly, the project creates a variety of living options through a range of unit sizes.

A strong sustainability emphasis and consideration of community orientation for ground floor uses. The exterior material choice seems harsh and unsuitable for the Denver climate.

Beyond the invisible presentation almost made you forget that you are evaluating a single stair project. The intentional inclusion of sustainable energy sources for powering the residences to parking and charging EVs to bike parking and a greenhouse all provide an exciting vision for what's possible.

The concept of standing out is questioned in relation to the potential height increase of adjacent low-rise buildings. The semi-public ground floor is appreciated, with a suggestion to integrate public uses such as commercial space. The section is particularly admired for its design, with ground-floor landscaping that extends up the courtyard and onto the roof. While the section and plan feel well considered, they remain conventional; the strategy of creating additional building corners effectively connects people to light, air, and views, though these corners are often allocated to private bedrooms rather than common living areas. Given the stair’s prominence in the design challenge, it feels too common and lacks a sense of celebration.