There were gold shovels and hard hats all lined up in a row, but no one even planted a spade in the soil to ceremoniously “break ground” as is customary at these events (to be fair, the ground was mostly concrete). Perhaps the only things broken that day, at least from my perspective, were the trend of projects Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture typically pursues and the unsophisticated image of the industrial neighborhood surrounding this destined diamond in the rough.

I’m talking about the much-hyped groundbreaking of The Source, a massive, now-vacant brick warehouse located at 3350 Brighton Boulevard, which took place on Friday, February 1. With a delectable assortment of gourmet food items and libations flowing freely from the new-generation market’s future tenants, a live DJ, and vibrant graffiti art abound, the affair more than lived up to the hype. In between snapping photos and chatting up industry colleagues, I had the pleasure of sampling one of the smooth artisan beer offerings from Crooked Stave; savory fish tacos and rich chocolate-dipped churros by Comida Cantina; a refreshing, locally-sourced gin cocktail by Cap Rock Spirits; and a plateful of Mondo Food’s pleasantly overwhelming variety of imported aged cheeses, cured meats and distinctive spreads.

When renovation of the former 19th-century foundry is complete in June this year, the space will be filled by hip and innovative restaurants, specialty food and alcohol distributors, a whole-animal butcher and a 3,000-bottle wine cellar, to name just a few. The European-style open market concept seen frequently in other parts of the world and even some U.S. metropolises, but thus far foreign to Denverites, is sure to draw foodies, beer geeks and other hipsteresque life forms from all corners of the city to this raw and still largely undiscovered enclave known as the RiNo Art District. If the Zeppelin’s audacious TAXI development hasn’t already done enough to change the face of the up-and-coming neighborhood, I’d say The Source is just the undertaking to seal the deal.

I’m proud of BRS, too. Taking on this project, vastly different from anything in the firm’s current portfolio, shows forward-thinking leadership that sees opportunity in risk. Having just bought my first home in Whittier, a mere five-minute bike ride from The Source, the June grand opening can’t come soon enough for me.

Note: Stephen Dynia Architects is the design architect and Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture is the architect of record for The Source.

Everyone we spoke to had something to say about it: how they weren’t able to effectively use their existing storage spaces, their storage wishes, what they were doing to modify what limited space they had… To be fair, the rec center opened in 1990, and the ways in which we deal with storage have come a long way over the past 20+ years. Still, the unfortunate reality is that, when juggling the program and storage space requirements of our clients, it is often the storage that takes a hit to maintain valuable program space.

So how is a design architect to accommodate the storage needs of ever-changing, ever-growing facilities? For one, we propose working closely with the client to plan their storage space. Typically, we design empty closets and leave the shelving design to the owners, who are not interior designers by trade. Getting shelving arrangements and the overall layout in place before occupancy can really simplify the move-in process for the client and assure their storage needs are addressed from the outset rather than as an afterthought. We also want to make sure all the shelving in these spaces is adjustable, so that as clients’ needs change they can modify the spaces as necessary. One item that was of particular importance to the staff at this facility was to ensure shelving began 36 inches above floor level to allow for bins to be pushed underneath the first shelves—for things like toys, balls, crafts materials, etc. Another worthwhile suggestion was to provide a number of cubbies equal to the maximum number of children each classroom or child watch space could serve.

If we simply cannot sacrifice precious square footage to accommodate storage space, the least we can do is maximize utility and organization within the limited spaces set aside by strategizing with our clients early on about their potential storage needs. Having a clear understanding of how these spaces will be utilized can make all the difference once the building opens its doors!

My colleague, Angelo, and I accompanied Erie Community Center staff members Ed and Scott, who head up the maintenance crew, about their daily routines. We observed the daily checks they perform when opening the building, ensuring all systems are operating properly. We learned about one particular challenge they encountered with their solar hot water system that heats the pool: The system is so efficient that, when doing pool maintenance during the first few years, there was nowhere to reroute the excess heat when the volume of water was reduced. Now, that excess heat is routed to the outdoor splash pad area, which is sees lots of activity during the summer months, when the most substantial pool maintenance takes place.

In addition to gleaning some insights into the MEP systems, we learned about how various materials are holding up over time and the challenges of cleaning and maintaining some of those materials. For instance, the composite wood beams in the lobby space have a rough texture, presenting a challenge when dusting their hard-to-reach surfaces. Like many of our other facilities, Erie is slowly changing out carpet in the public corridors and replacing it with more durable tile.

All in all, it was a great chance to learn some lessons that we can now incorporate into future community centers.