The University of Denver has opened a 132,000-square-foot commons and dining facility that it believes will become a centerpiece of the campus.
The university says the Community Commons provides picturesque 360-degree views of the campus, comfortable lounges, and a central dining hall with numerous food options—international, hibachi, custom-made pizza and pasta, stir fry, traditional grill, salads, allergen-free, vegan and vegetarian.
Dining is the central feature of the four-story facility. Options begin with the second-floor Rebecca Chopp Grand Central Market. The area serves as the campus dining room and offers nine micro-restaurant concepts that provide an ever-changing mix of cuisine.
More than 700 people can gather inside or on the courtyard terrace that wraps around the outside of the food hall. Seats inside and outside have access to power outlets and USB ports.
Diners can order any of the menu items at the market through a smartphone app that shows what is available, pricing, and the relevant nutritional information, hours of operation for each station.
The second floor also has a faculty lounge—the first dedicated on-campus space for faculty members besides their individual offices.
More food options can be found on other floors. On the first level, rollin’ n bowlin’ provides smoothies, acai bowls and toasts. A Starbucks is available for those who prefer coffee.
The fourth floor of the Community Commons also offers dining options. During lunchtime, the roof offers a setting for about 50 people to have a buffet lunch. In the afternoon and evening, the roof provides space for social gatherings with free hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar that stays open until 10 p.m.
Beyond dining, the roof and patio have plenty of space for groups of people to sit and relax. Power outlets and USB ports also are available so that students can charge and connect their cell phones and laptops.
The Commons has a green roof, in compliance with Denver’s 2017 green building ordinance. It will be planted with grass and maintained by the university’s grounds crew.
The university wants the Community Commons aims to be the new central place for students, faculty, staff and alumni to gather and connect. For students, the building has dedicated space for many clubs and organizations; the third floor has dedicated lounges for both graduate and undergraduate students.
The Grand Forum, a communal space that can host large events or serve as the grand entry and social hangout for the community, is situated on the east end of the first floor. Partitions on both ends of the space make it possible to increase the size of the room to accommodate more than 300 people. When the added space is not needed, the partitions can be closed to maintain three separate lounge areas.
The design architect is Moore Ruble Yudell Architects, the architect of record is Anderson Mason Dale Architects, and the construction manager is Saunders Construction.
