Challenge:
Incorporate an open-air, full view operable wall solution among existing exposed concrete structural columns and between two different fitness and recreational spaces in a trendy mid-rise luxury apartment complex. Apply the same solution to two exterior shell locations that are each surrounded by glass panels on three sides.
Solution:
Five Amarr® 3552 Heavy-Duty Aluminum Full View sectional doors — two 10’x10’ doors and one 6’x10’ door (courtyard/lap pool area) and two 10’x10’ doors (lounge area) — all with clear anodize finish, ClearView aluminum struts and 1/8” tempered glass.
Results:
Complementing the industrial ambience of the surrounding neighborhood, the full view sectional doors allow apartment complex residents to easily control natural ventilation and open views between a fitness center and courtyard/lap pool area, as well as between an interior lounge and outdoor seating area located off the main lobby.
Facility:
Dylan
Environment:
Mid-Rise Luxury Apartment Complex
Location:
Denver, CO
Architect:
Parikh Stevens Architects – Denver, CO
Interior Design Firm:
TRIO Environments – Denver, CO
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Dylan Mid-Rise Luxury Apartment Complex – Denver, CO
Formerly a rough industrial corner of Denver, the fast-growing River North (RiNo) warehouse district is transforming itself into a trendy arts and culture center while maintaining its gritty heritage. And developers of residential properties like the 274- unit Dylan mid-rise luxury apartment complex (completed in 2016) are attracting a whole new generation of young suburban residents.
The architects and interior designers behind new properties like Dylan, and older structure renovations, are actively incorporating ways to preserve the industrial look and feel of the neighborhood that now includes everything from eclectic art studies to hip restaurants and microbreweries.
One such industrial design element at Dylan includes five Amarr® 3552 Heavy-Duty Aluminum Full View sectional doors – two 10’x10’ doors located along the complex exterior’s Brighton Boulevard frontage and three doors (two 10’x10’ and one 6’x10’) separating the property’s fitness center and courtyard/lap pool area. All doors include a clear anodize finish, ClearView aluminum struts and 1/8” tempered glass.
Denver is well known for its high percentage of solar days each year. So, open-air full views in residential properties like Dylan are an appealing amenity, especially in shared spaces such as fitness and community areas.
Doors surrounded by glass
All five full view sectional doors rely on standard lift track. However, the two doors along Brighton Boulevard are unique in that they’re surrounded on three sides by glass panels, rather than more traditional wood, steel or concrete block openings.
This installation approach helped maximize the transparency of the exterior walls near the main lobby entrance to the complex. The full view sectional doors then provide residents the ability to open the adjacent interior lounge to outdoor seating.
Parikh Stevens Architects (Denver) handled Dylan’s exterior shell and dwelling units design. TRIO Environments (Denver) provided the property developer all the interior finish specs and design work.
“We worked very closely with Parikh Stevens on the front end of design for Dylan”, said Elizabeth Hester, Vice President of Operations, TRIO Environments. “For both door area application locations at Dylan, it was important to us to establish a well thought out indoor/outdoor connection.”
Hester added because the weather in Denver is so ideal for full view door applications, that then allows interior spaces to open up to the outdoors throughout the year.
“TRIO carefully coordinated how the open doors and the lift tracks would impact various ceiling details,” Hester pointed out, including lighting layouts for each interior space that features decorative pendants, as well as drop and pop-up ceiling considerations. The fitness center has an open ceiling structure and the lounge has a gypsum board ceiling.
“Although we were somewhat limited to what we could do to the ceilings in terms of design features, due to the track installations, we’re very satisfied with the outcome and where we landed with the various door applications,” Hester said.
“For both door area
application locations at
Dylan, it was important to
us to establish a well
thought out indoor/outdoor
connection.”
– Elizabeth Hester, Vice President of
Operations, TRIO Environments,
Denver, Colorado
Ideal transition between spaces
Harsh Parikh, President, Parikh Stevens Architects explained that the lap pool played a huge role in the developer’s Dylan amenity package:
“The developer really liked the inviting open space concept between the fitness center and the pool deck areas. And our firm has always tried to take advantage of that important design concept with past projects. We’ve found that the easiest way for residents to transition between spaces like a fitness center and pool deck is through a concept such as the Amarr full view sectional door.”
Parikh said his firm understands that today’s fitness workouts are all about high-intensity intervals with a lot of breaks and varied routines. Fully-operational sectional doors allow easy transitions between spaces so people can get out of each other’s way for calisthenics and other types of exercise, especially after using weight training or other fitness equipment. “Full view sectional doors are the perfect solution for fitness center spaces, and we’ve used them in three to four other projects so far,” he added.
Parikh further related, “The gym has a gritty appearance with concrete floors, white and gray colors, and is very functional, so the full view sectional doors make complete sense there. From an architectural and interior design standpoint, an environment like that is all about aesthetics and the appropriate use of such an architectural element. Some spaces would obviously not be spec’d with such doors, but for a fitness center, it’s a full view sectional door all day long!”
“The easiest way for
residents to transition
between spaces like a
fitness center and pool
deck is through a concept
such as the Amarr full
view sectional door.”
– Harsh Parikh, President, Parikh Stevens
Architects, Denver, Colorado
A slight change in plans
Recently, a routine Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE) pool inspection presented an unexpected development for Parikh’s firm and Dylan property management.
Although previously approved, the DDPHE decided that the apartment complex could no longer provide residents open access between the fitness center and courtyard/lap pool area through the full view sectional doors. The DDPHE deemed the open access a child safety issue, although Dylan has signs posted that no unsupervised children under the age of 14 are allowed in the fitness center or courtyard areas.
“…if we had used an
approach other than the
Amarr sectional doors, we
wouldn’t have experienced
the same level of flexibility
or ease that contributed to
our open view and natural
ventilation solution.”
– Harsh Parikh, President, Parikh Stevens
Architects, Denver, Colorado
Dylan property management has since secured the bottom three sections of each full view door sectional door leaving the top two panels movable for natural air ventilation and open views. The bottom three sections, at approximately 5’ high, now act as barriers between the fitness center and courtyard/lap pool areas. Residents, however, must now rely on standard pedestrian doors to transition between either recreational space. The DDPHE ruling did not affect the full view sectional doors in the Dylan lounge area.
“Regardless of the DDPHE’s ruling, if we had used an approach other than the Amarr sectional doors, we wouldn’t have experienced the same level of flexibility or ease that contributed to our open view and natural ventilation solution for Dylan,” Parikh emphasized.
A great fit for the RiNo neighborhood
Parikh noted that from an exterior standpoint, the Amarr full view sectional doors denote an industrial, chic look which fits in extremely well in the RiNo neighborhood. “What’s essentially an industrial-looking, yet highly-functional design element, really stands out well among what are refined and finished spaces,” Parikh explained.
He further stated that because the RiNo neighborhood is an area that contained old commercial warehouses, large overhead garage-style doors were a common site. “When such buildings get repurposed for other uses, those same openings beg to get repurposed to provide access to patio space for restaurants or other establishments which makes perfect sense for full view sectional door applications such as those at Dylan.”
“…we’re very satisfied with
the outcome and where we
landed with the various door
applications.”
– Elizabeth Hester, Vice President of
Operations, TRIO Environments,
Denver, Colorado
To obtain detailed information on Amarr Aluminum Full View sectional doors — designed and manufactured by Amarr Company — please visit Amarr Commercial Doors, or contact us at 800-503-DOOR (3667). And to learn more about how Amarr Company works with architects, please visit Architect Resources, which also includes information about the company’s commitment to sustainability, energy efficiency and ways to contribute LEED points to building projects.