Saturday I had the privilege of helping out at Box City Denver, the annual event sponsored by the Urban Design Committee of the Denver chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Box City is held each year in conjunction with Doors Open Denver, the popular free two-day program that allows the public to explore over 80 architecturally-significant buildings in the greater Downtown area. Today’s the last day for Doors Open Denver for this year, so head Downtown and check it out! Here’s a link to the program’s website where you can view the list of buildings for this year.
Box City is a free event for kids kindergarten-fifth grade where they get to make a building out of boxes and other materials and place their creation on a city grid that’s been laid out on the floor. Box City is also about teaching kids about the process of urban development, and about some of the principles that make for sound architecture, urban design, and planning. Here’s how it works:
When the kids arrive, they start at the Building Permits station where they have to decide what kind of building they want to build (residential, office, civic, etc.). After receiving their permit, they head off to the Hardware Store where they select their building materials, then begin working on their project in the Construction Zone. When finished, the kids have to have their building reviewed by a Building Inspector, who looks for key structural attributes such as having windows and doors and a roof. After the Building Inspector signs off on their project, each child is photographed with their completed building. They are now ready to proceed to the entrance to Box City, where they are met by a City Planner. The City Planner guides the child into selecting a good location for their building based on its zoning (parcels throughout Box City are zoned either for residential, commercial, mixed-use, civic, or recreational uses), the scale of their building, adjacency to transportation, natural features, and other uses, etc. Finally, after siting their building, each kid receives a Certificate of Occupancy, complete with the photo of them and their building taken earlier.
Not surprisingly, I volunteered for a City Planner position, and had an awesome time. The kids did a great job, and many proved to have the potential for a future career in urban development. Box City Denver is located in the atrium of the Wellington Webb Municipal Building and will be on display through Monday morning, so if you’re Downtown, stop in and take a look. Here are a few highlights:
Overview from above. Box City Denver is based loosely on the Civic Center area street grid:
The Hardware Store (left) and Construction Zone (right) near the end of the day:
Looking down the main street (left) and the river corridor (right):
The full spectrum of building types and uses was present. The skyscraper district, including the Box City Bridge, two Broncos towers, and Mile High Stadium (left), and a high-density mixed-use block (right):
Here we have the venerable Red Coned Bank (left) and the prestigious Tipton Hotel (right):
Civic uses are also found in Box City. Here’s the city hall and courthouse (left) and the Aaron and Aiden International Airport, with Nick’s Military Base nearby (right):
There are plenty of cultural and entertainment options for Box Citizens, including the popular Denver Bug Museum (left) and Box City Movie Theatre (right):
Transportation is also important in Box City. Here’s the multi-modal Grand Station transit-oriented development where heavy/freight rail and light rail intersect (left), and a light rail train rounding the corner in the center of town (right):
Industry is also present in Box City, such as the Power Plant and Rubber Band Factory shown here (left). A future site planner is busy working on his parking lot layout (right):
Several examples of architectural genius were present, including this Libeskind-inspired highrise (left) and this impressive residential tower (right):
Some of the other areas and uses found in Box City include a quiet residential zone, several amusement parks, a synagogue, a number of schools, a NASCAR race track, the Box City Cat Shelter (including a rooftop catnip garden), a Macy’s department store, five hospitals, and a gas station.
Over 100 kids participated in this year’s Box City Denver program, making it the biggest and best yet. Just like Denver itself, Box City Denver is getting denser and more vibrant every year!
