MAD Architects’ third project in the United States has begun: a 16-story residential structure in Denver that appears to have been split open to reveal its green filling.
One River North is a 66-story apartment building with 187 units and 1,200 square meters of green space, featuring a four-story landscaped walkway and a rooftop terrace with pool, jacuzzi, and garden.
The Max Collaborative, Uplands Real Estate Partners, and Wynne Yasmer Real Estate are the project’s main developers.
The project’s executive architect is Davis Partnership Architects, and the major contractor is Saunders Construction, both of which are based in Denver.
The ten-story “break” in the façade is a tribute to Colorado’s stunning alpine backdrop. The goal, according to Kevin Ratner, co-founder of The Max Collaborative, was to create a model that
“shows how we should be … surrounding ourselves in the natural environment, bringing nature into our homes and creating authentic, biophilic experiences coupled with modern comforts and conveniences”.
Kevin Ratner, co-founder of The Max Collaborative
He added: “The nature-inspired design by MAD Architects was influenced by Colorado’s legendary landforms and merges nature and architecture to inspire a well-balanced life. Its glass façade is likewise ribbed with louvres that regulate sunlight and soften its visual presence, shaping a serene retreat in the sky.”
Kevin Ratner, co-founder of The Max Collaborative
Mad was founded in 2004 in Beijing. One River North is the firm’s third project to break ground in the US, following the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, under way in Los Angeles, and the Gardenhouse, which opened in Los Angeles in 2020. A design for The Star office building on Sunset Boulevard, central Hollywood, was unveiled in September.
