Keynote –
Good Design:
Always Modern, Ever Traditional

Keynote –
Good Design:
Always Modern, Ever Traditional

Good Design: Always Modern, Ever Traditional

This Keynote session with architect Jeff Shepard and CU Denver’s CARTA (Center for Advanced Research in Traditional Architecture) Director, Christine G.H. Franck, features a discussion of good design and the principles that guide it: Proportion, scale, number, differentiation, symmetry, tectonic logic, character, place, and clarity of building purpose and type. They will delve into examples of these principles at work in both modernist and traditional projects, and how they are used to further the design of each building and how they help diverse buildings work together to create a harmonious, meaningful public realm. Specific examples will include the host space for this talk, the Room & Board Building. They will speak to the original design and the most recent remodel and addition and discuss how the patterns have remained, yet evolved, recognizing changes in surrounding conditions and context. Civic buildings like the Cherry Hills Municipal Center and the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library will also be discussed. The Cherry Hills Municipal Center reinterprets the barn typology that is rooted in the equestrian history of Cherry Hills Village, while the Blair-Caldwell library adapts a traditional civic building type to modern uses. Both speak to many patterns of good design. Design guidelines operating at a comprehensive level will be presented, such as Jeff Sheppard’s new design guidelines for the town of Dillon. Finally, they will examine one of Denver’s most pressing design issues: new residential buildings. Some of Denver’s best new single family and multi-family residential projects that enhance their neighborhoods will be contrasted with those that do not.

Join the discussion and enjoy beverages and bites on the rooftop patio of host and sponsor Room & Board.