BURWELL CENTER
The Burwell Center for Career Achievement at the University of Denver is a three-story campus facility designed to support career development, advising, and connections between students, alumni, and employers. The building includes flexible event spaces, classrooms, meeting rooms, and offices organized around open gathering areas that encourage collaboration and informal interaction.
Date: 2021
Location: Denver, Colorado
Architect: SAR+ Architects & Lake Flato
Contractor: PCL Construction
Project Type: Higher Education
Square Footage: 23,000
Construction Cost: $13.5 Million
Services Provided:
Structural Engineering
UNIVERSITY OF DENVER
KL&A served as the structural engineer for the project, which features a mass timber structural system using cross-laminated timber (CLT) floor panels and shear walls with glulam beams and columns. The exposed timber structure plays a central role in the architectural character of the building while allowing for efficient prefabrication and erection.
RECOGNITION
AIA Colorado Design + Honor Awards (2021) — Award of Merit
WoodWorks Wood Design Awards (2022) — Regional Excellence Award
As one of Colorado’s early mass timber academic buildings, the structure supports the project’s sustainability goals while creating warm, open interior spaces that showcase the material and structural system.