The recently completed Eastside Human Services Building in Denver shows that just because work is public doesn’t mean it’s without personality. Designed by RNL, a veteran architecture firm with six international offices (including one in the Mile-High City), this 54,000-square-foot, LEED-NC Gold project serves the needs of underprivileged families and foster children in five zip codes, and it was funded as part of the “Building a Better Denver” bond program, passed in 2007. Its open, bright design does away with the traditionally regimented architecture of past municipal facilities.
The building’s exterior, composed of white prefab panels and lengthy stretches of high-performance glass, reflects and admits natural illumination deep into the interior, giving the structure a clean, welcoming appeal. Inside, public spaces are finished with pops of energizing color that lend greater vibrancy to the atmosphere, and energy efficiency and privacy are heightened thanks to state-of-the-art air-distribution and acoustical-dampening systems.
The entire facility is shaped to the contours of its site, its volume hidden by a shallow slope so that the building appears narrow and unimposing to nearby street-level residences. Distinguishing the design is a sweeping roof overhang that runs down the south side. The feature not only aesthetically mimics Denver’s naturally staggered topography; it also adds an element of personality and humanism to the architecture, complementing the services and programs the building centralizes.
![Photo: Frank Ooms](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==)
Project Details
Location: Denver
Client: The city and county of Denver
Architect: RNL
Size: 54,000 square feet
Completed: 2011
![The swooping west end of the angled southern roof overhang swings up and back over to form a clerestory that gathers gentle daylighting. The east end of the overhang primarily offers shade to prevent overheating inside. Photo: Frank Ooms](https://americanbuildersquarterly.com/install/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/6-Eastside_Human_Services_RNL_Frank-Ooms.jpg)
![On the building's west end, louvered panels help shade second-story office spaces, preventing excessive heat gain. Photo: Frank Ooms](https://americanbuildersquarterly.com/install/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/12-Eastside_Human_Services_RNL_Frank-Ooms-350x313.jpg)
![The structure's roof was designed and angled specifically for the eventual installation of a photovoltaic array. The windows, made of high-performance, argon-filled glass, reduce heat transfer through the building envelope.](https://americanbuildersquarterly.com/install/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/3-Eastside_Human_Services_RNL_Frank-Ooms.jpg)
![Eastside's bright, two-story public lobby space is enhanced with flashes of color from the front desk and along the ceiling. Photo: Frank Ooms](https://americanbuildersquarterly.com/install/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/16-Eastside_Human_Services_RNL_Frank-Ooms.jpg)
![The second-story offices are largely open and high-ceilinged, keeping the environment social and inviting. Photo: Frank Ooms](https://americanbuildersquarterly.com/install/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20-Eastside_Human_Services_RNL_Frank-Ooms-282x400.jpg)
![A north-side clerestory takes in even more sun. All the natural illumination helps the building net energy savings of about 54%. Photo: Frank Ooms](https://americanbuildersquarterly.com/install/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/15-Eastside_Human_Services_RNL_Frank-Ooms.jpg)
![First Floor: Visitors parking at the Eastside Human Services Building all check in at the central desks in the building’s two-story main atrium. Grand stairs lead up to the second floor, and a central hallway leads back to office suites for everything from child welfare visitations to job-placement training to interviews.](https://americanbuildersquarterly.com/install/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/25-Eastside_RNL-First-Floor-Plan.jpg)
![Second Floor: The top-level entrance is accessible from Steele Street. Upon entering the building, visitors can look down on the main atrium and check-in desks from an open terrace. Offices beyond the public space are largely unpartitioned and nearly 100 percent daylit. The calming atmosphere aids interactions between social workers and their clients.](https://americanbuildersquarterly.com/install/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/26-Eastside_RNL-Second-Floor-Plan.jpg)