Architecture

Populus: America’s first carbon-positive hotel opens in the heart of Denver

With an organic design inspired by local nature, the Populus Hotel is revolutionizing green, zero-emissions architecture.

Por: Karla Sofía Espinoza
Populus hotel denver carbon positive_
Populus Hotel in Denver is a sustainable project that aspires to LEED Gold certification / Foto: Studio Gang

Populus is an extraordinary 265-room, 13-story hotel in downtown Denver, Colorado. Part of what makes it special is obvious: its organic forms are inspired by the growth process of the state’s native aspen trees, scientifically known as Populus tremuloides.


But its design hides another special feature: it is the first carbon-positive hotel in the United States, because its rainwater recycling, use of coal waste, and green roof, which benefits local wildlife, not only reduce carbon emissions, but also facilitate the removal of additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.


The design is by Studio Gang and the development is by Urban Villages. The goal is for Populus to become a new social hub for downtown Denver while revolutionizing sustainable building.

Populus DENVER
The green roof on the top floor provides an attractive habitat for local wildlife / Photo: Populus Denver
POPULUS DENVER ROOM
Seating has been placed in some of the windows so that guests can connect with nature outside / Photo: Populus Denver

The building is located on a corner that connects the city’s civic, arts and business districts between Colfax Avenue and 14th Street.


The facade is composed of vertical festoons with the same width as the rooms. A bright, natural tone dominates the exterior of the building because it is clad with acid-washed fiberglass-reinforced concrete panels to highlight the aggregates of the material.

Sustainable and ecological project

Populus is a sustainable project that aspires to LEED Gold certification. The building has been designed to optimize its compact, triangular site and lacks parking (a first for Denver) in order to promote more environmentally friendly modes of transportation.
Fly ash, or coal combustion residue, was incorporated into the concrete to use less cement and thus reduce C02 emissions when producing cement.


Inside, much of the structure is exposed to reduce the use of finishes, and the few finishes that are used have a high recycled content, such as recycled leather veneer in elevator cabs and room desks.


The green roof on the top floor provides an attractive habitat for local wildlife and insects, enhancing urban biodiversity.

The windows

The highlight of the facade is the windows, whose geometry is based on the characteristic patterns of aspen. In addition, the windows decrease in size as one ascends through the floors.


On the first floor, the windows reach a height of 9 meters to frame the entrances and views of the hotel. Guests in the upper rooms enjoy panoramic views of the State Capitol, Civic Center Park and the Rocky Mountains. Seating has been placed in some of the windows so that guests can connect with nature through moments of contemplation.


They also have an environmentally friendly side, as the outer covers of each window extend outward to shade the interior spaces and channel rainwater.

Dining options

The double-height lobby connects to Pasque, a plant-based, all-day dining restaurant and coffee shop on the first floor. On the top floor, guests and the general public alike can enjoy Stellar Jay, a restaurant with a rooftop bar and outdoor terrace overlooking the Denver skyline and mountains.

The Populus Hotel, managed by the Aparium Hotel Group, offers fitness services, a flex lounge and event space, which are located on the top floor.

 

If you liked this article about Populus Hotel, please share it. You can also read this article about Casa Tua New York in the Luster English section.

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