College of Architecture and Planning (CAP) students had a special visitor on Monday, May 4. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston stopped by a studio space in the CU Denver Building to learn about the aspiring architects’ models for outdoor spaces that they are designing in partnership with local organizations.
The students are enrolled in the Parts of Common course led by Assistant Professor of Architecture Leyuan Li in collaboration with the Denver Mayor’s Office. In the class, students have been working closely with five community organizations—the Colorado Nepalese Community, Greater Denver CARES Mentoring Movement, Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, Empower Media Exchange, and Lavender Hill Cultural District—to create designs for outdoor pavilions that the organizations could someday own. The initiative, named the Common Ground Community Design Project, aims to promote belonging in Denver through architecture.
Students’ installations will be on display this September at the Denver Performing Arts Complex for the first-ever Denver Community Design Festival as part of Doors Open Denver. The annual event is hosted by the Denver Architecture Foundation.
