Located in Aurora, CO, the Anschutz Health Sciences Building at the University of Colorado is a dynamic focal point on campus. The architects at ZGF and Anderson Mason Dale designed the seven-story building to serve as “a beacon” that marks the entry point to the campus.

Intentionally designed to be a collaborative, mixed-use space, the building has a seven-story interior atrium, a data center, a large conference center, office and clinical spaces, meeting rooms, and labs that support multiple users, including researchers, faculty, staff, students, and patients.

With a focus on energy-efficient features, the space was designed using Modern Elite Powder-Coated Aluminum planters.

• Rectangular planters positioned in the lobby line walkways, carve out various seating areas, and add bursts of color and natural elements to further beautify the space.
• Planters in the shape of parallelograms add vertical interest along glass walls on upper floors in the seven-story atrium as they also function to flank seating areas.
• To ensure the planters could be easily moved when necessary, they were custom-designed with an opening to accommodate a hand-pallet jack.

Whether users of the space are breaking for lunch, meeting with a study group, or simply relaxing for a few minutes, adding greenery supports the building’s mission to drive the next generation of health science research, mental and behavioral health, education and personalized clinical care.

Images by Brad Moore