2023 AIA Colorado Design Award of Excellence: Englewood Passive House
Shape Architecture studio is honored to be included in the 2023 AIA Colorado Design Awards - winning the Design Award of Excellence with Sustainability Recognition for the Englewood Passive House and the Design Award Honorable Mention for the 1881 Heritage Farm Park.
Design Award of Excellence with Sustainability Recognition
Prioritizing a quiet, comfortable, and healthy indoor environment through passive solar design, an airtight building envelope, super-insulation, and continuous indoor air ventilation, its innovative features include south-facing triple-pane windows for passive solar gain and strategic skylights for daylighting, all while effectively insulating against highway noise. Achieving Passive House Institute (PHI) certification, the first multi-family project in Colorado to do so, the Englewood Passive House Duplex is a pioneering example of sustainable living.
Design Award Honorable Mention
Windler Farm, an established Colorado Centennial Farm since 1881, is a rare representation of vernacular dryland agriculture in Aurora. In its early history, it functioned as both a dairy farm and cattle ranch, with certain portions eventually sold and some buildings left neglected. The new 1881 Heritage Farm Park in Aurora is poised to become a prominent agricultural exploratorium within the Denver Metropolitan region. It will showcase restored grasslands, permaculture gardens, spaces for community gatherings, and educational activities. The Windler Center for Agriculture, a flexible educational structure with a cafe, and a geothermal-powered greenhouse will be integral to the park's offerings with sights set on achieving a net-zero operational carbon footprint.