Urban Villages, a leading real estate developer and environmental steward, has started construction on Populus, the first carbon positive hotel in the Unites States. Opening in late 2023 and unlike anything Denver has ever seen, the 265-room hotel will include a rooftop restaurant and bar offering spectacular views of the mountains and city skyline, distinct retail destinations and event spaces, and an iconic Aspen tree-inspired design by AD100 architecture and urban design practice, Studio Gang. Urban Villages is developing Populus to be carbon positive thanks both to its sustainable design and construction features as well as a substantial ecological effort offsite, including an initial commitment to planting trees that represent over 5,000 acres of forest – offsetting an embodied carbon footprint equivalent to nearly 500,000 gallons of gas and removing additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Urban Villages is at the forefront of sustainable hospitality, just as consumers around the world are recognizing and standing up to environmental challenges that impact our lives and economy. A recent study by Kind Traveler shows that 96% of travelers want their vacation dollars to positively impact the place they visit – further underscoring the demand for a destination like Populus.
Further, real estate’s impact on the environment is dire and intensifying, with buildings currently accounting for 45 percent of greenhouse emissions in the United States* – and this includes the development of new hotels. In fact, the world will add the square-footage equivalent of New York City every 35 days. Urban Villages is responding to this immediate crisis, in part, with Populus, which will surpass its carbon footprint by implementing green practices derived from extensive research and scientific studies. Urban Villages has calculated the carbon footprint of Populus and made a long-term commitment to be carbon positive. Instead of purchasing untraceable carbon credits as many others do, Urban Villages is accomplishing Populus’ carbon positive status by proactively planting and growing trees to make a tangible impact.
Populus will minimize its carbon footprint in the development stage using low-carbon concrete mixes, high-recycled content materials, maximizing structural efficiency, using fewer finish materials, minimizing waste, and more. This considers every stage of Populus, beginning with the origin of materials, as well as the carbon footprint of creating and transporting them. Populus’ ongoing operations will also be carbon positive, so that the hotel’s overall use (operational carbon) along with every guest stay will be offset in addition to the building’s embodied carbon.
Populus will also follow U.S. Green Building Council codes and is targeting LEED Gold certification.
Architecture and Biophilic Design
To design Populus, Urban Villages partnered with world-class architecture firm, Studio Gang, due to their shared commitment to sustainability and inspiring approach to creating spaces that connect between people with each other and their environments. Studio Gang, named among Architectural Digest’s AD100 since 2017, is founded and led by Jeanne Gang – a MacArthur Fellow and one of TIME Magazine’s top 100 most influential people – features breathtaking projects across the Americas and Europe. Populus is Studio Gang’s first building in Colorado.
Inspired by nature, Studio Gang’s design for Populus was informed by studying the characteristic patterns found on Colorado’s native Aspen tree – Populus Tremuloides – an instantly recognizable symbol of the state. The building’s distinctive windows echo the “Aspen eyes” while also designed to perform efficiently in Denver’s varied climate. The texture and rhythm of the façade is optimized to the program inside, with “lids” over each window extending slightly outward to shade the interior of the building and improves energy performance. These “lids” also neatly channel rainwater to keep the façade of Populus looking continually clean and bright. On the interior, the windows changes in size to reflect the public or private nature of various spaces, with windows up to 30 feet high at the building’s base that frame entrances and views into the lobby and amenity spaces. Inside the rooms, hotel guests have immersive mountain and city views through windows, which also become occupiable, transforming into seats or desks that further connect occupants with the outdoors. The result is a stunningly beautiful, sustainable design that is deeply connected to nature and its surrounding neighborhood.
Uncommon Hospitality
Populus is a distinctive hospitality project destined to become an energetic new social center in downtown Denver. Featuring a daring yet tranquil design, the 13-story hotel is comprised of 265 modern guest rooms and dynamic social areas, including a signature rooftop bar and restaurant offering unobstructed views of the mountains, city skyline, and Civic Center Park.
Upon entry, guests will be greeted by an eclectic mix of eateries with the ability to evolve from a morning café to an evening wine bar. This unique, high-design space will function as a lobby without ever looking or feeling like one. A grand staircase extends the activated street-level experience to the curated second floor—a flexible area that can accommodate large business meetings, co-working areas, weddings and celebrations, or pop-up events. The top floor will feature a series of hospitality-style suites, bookable for private social or corporate events. Still, the most coveted gathering space will be the signature rooftop bar and restaurant, which will enliven the neighborhood and entice a captivating mix of locals and visitors to watch, savor, and connect. The public rooftop will feature an expansive garden terrace planted with regional vegetation, which serves as a lush place to socialize and a visual representation of Populus’ green ethos while naturally cooling the building.
For more information on Populus, visit urban-villages.com/portfolio/populus/ or follow along at @Urban.Villages.
