Opening in Denver in Summer 2024, the Environmentally-Forward 265-Room Hotel Shares a First Look at Interiors by Wildman Chalmers Design – Designed to Complement the Biophilic Architecture by Studio Gang. Today on Disruptive Design, designer Heather Wildman of Wildman Chalmers Design, sits down with DNN Editor in Chief Courtney Porter to discuss selling sustainability, green interior design, and their biophilic masterpiece.
Populus, the country’s first carbon positive hotel opening in Denver in summer of 2024, is pleased to unveil its nature-forward interior designs by Wildman Chalmers Design in partnership with Fowler + Fowler Architecture, D.P.C. Developed by Urban Villages, a leading real estate developer and environmental steward, and managed by Aparium Hotel Group, a pioneer in the lifestyle hotel industry, Populus’ interiors are designed to celebrate nature and pay homage to the Mountain West with a warm color scheme, natural materials, undulating forms, and an Aspen-tree inspired design that complements the building’s distinctive architecture by Studio Gang. The thought-provoking art collection, curated by artist and environmentalist Katherine Homes, further adds to the hotel’s biophilic ethos, extending beyond eye-catching visuals to encompass a full sensory experience inspired by the feelings evoked by sitting among an Aspen grove.
Populus’ interior design vision was conceived by Wildman Chalmers Design, an architectural and interior design firm that specializes in commercial, residential, and hospitality projects, and is helmed by Principal and Design Director Heather Wildman with support by Associate Principal Elizabeth Usnick and team. The interiors are designed to align with the building’s overall reverence for nature and instantly recognizable Aspen-tree architecture – starting with the ground floor lobby and restaurant, filled with warm browns and woods reminiscent of a forest floor; moving up through the trunk and branches of the main floors where the guest rooms and suites reside; and leading up to the rooftop restaurant, bar, and hospitality suites, which represent a celebration of color and natural light, mimicking the lush canopy of a tree. Wildman Chalmers Design carefully utilized natural woods, textures, and finishes that embrace the imperfection found in a forest and bring warmth to the building’s bold architecture and exposed concrete core and ceilings. All interiors, from the materials to the furniture and art, are designed with sustainability at the forefront to minimize the building’s carbon footprint through innovative, consciously sourced materials. Many design elements and custom furnishings were brought to life by New York-based Fowler, which is led by Emma and Michelle Fowler, and partnered with Wildman Chalmers Design on the interiors of Populus.
“For Urban Villages, it was crucial that we pair Populus’ stunning architectural design – destined to forever change Denver’s skyline – with remarkable interior design that could seamlessly marry the building’s sculptural form with warm, welcoming interiors while extending its nature-inspired ethos,” said Jon Buerge, President and Partner at Urban Villages. “We are very proud of our commitment to make Populus the first carbon positive hotel in the country and are thrilled that the dynamic interior design and art program deeply represent this commitment to the environment and our locale, all while enhancing the guest experience.”
As the country’s first carbon positive hotel, Populus’ embodied and operational carbon footprint is being offset through forest and agricultural collaborations that sequester more carbon than the building emits throughout its lifecycle. Already, over 70,000 trees were planted in Gunnison County, Colo. in partnership with One Tree Planted vis-a-vis the United States Forest Service.
“Our mission at Aparium is to create distinctive hotels that embody the unique character of their destinations, and Populus is a perfect example of this,” says Mario Tricoci, CEO and Founder of Aparium Hotel Group. “The hotel’s nature-forward design and art program bring the great outdoors directly into the thriving urban center of Denver, offering guests and locals the best of the Mountain West in a memorable, inspiring way. Populus’ exceptional interiors, coupled with our considerate approach to programming, will ensure that it is a must-visit destination for 2024 and many years to come.”
“We approached Populus’ design vision from an experience standpoint first – thoughtfully curating colors, textures, and shapes that not only look beautiful, but appeal to all of the senses and emotions, just as a walk through the forest would,” said Heather Wildman, Principal and Design Director of Wildman Chalmers Design. “By taking cues from nature and partnering with local artisans, we hope to create a strong connection between the design of Populus and the earth and its surroundings. The result will be a hospitality experience that’s warm, welcoming, and uniquely Colorado.”
Arrival experience on the “Forest Floor”
Designed to holistically mimic a forest floor, the first floor of Populus provides a calming arrival experience and a welcoming reprieve from the bustling street outside. Upon entry, guests will be greeted by a double-height lobby featuring varying Aspen-eye windows up to 30 feet high with a lively bar and restaurant to the left and a sculptural grand staircase and coffee bar to the right. Above the entryway and restaurant hangs an eye-catching sculpture – The Reishi Tapestry – constructed from nearly 500 sheets of Reishi™, a revolutionary leather-alternative by MycoWorks engineered from the root structure of mushrooms with their patented platform Fine Mycelium™. A feat of nature, art, and science, the sculpture doubles as a light source, casting a warm glow on the space while adding to the forest-inspired look, feel, and even smell of the lobby. Meanwhile, the brown-stained concrete floor features exposed aggregate with irregularity in scale, similar to pebbles scattered on a forest floor, while distressed wood slats on the ceiling – sourced from reclaimed wood snow fencing in Wyoming – add layers of warmth and rawness to the space. The reception area creates a darker “nook” as if carved into a tree and features a wood shingled wall, repurposed from beetle kill trees – a significant problem in Colorado’s forests – and a sculptural, locally sourced Rio Grande Cottonwood log desk by The Urban Woodworks. The coffee bar provides a space for guests to enjoy a drink and bite at the countertop or to-go through the walk-up window, while the all-day bar and restaurant serves as a vibrant, design-forward community hub.
Welcoming communal spaces and guest rooms
The second floor represents the understory of a tree and is home to a variety of meeting spaces, including the Library, Pantry, Living Room, The Hollow Bar, communal bathrooms, and a variety of meeting rooms – all of which are public, but can be reserved for private meetings or events. While the color scheme remains neutral, pops of nature-inspired hues in the furniture and art build vibrancy from the forest floor, including coppers, clays, mossy greens, and oceanic blues. On the guest room levels, the juxtaposition of color and light sets a unique mood for each space, with the core or “trunk” of the building and its corridors dramatically dark and quiet, while the 265 guest rooms are bright and filled with natural light. Long drapes soften the exposed concrete ceilings and frame the Aspen-eye shaped windows, creating a theater-like experience that sets the stage for stunning city and mountain views, and carpeting made from recycled materials with subtle texture and pattern further softens the mood. The views take center stage as a part of the design, and depending on the room, provide sightlines to the heart of downtown Denver or the surrounding Rocky Mountains – uniquely representing Populus as both a vibrant, urban destination and one deeply rooted in the surrounding nature. In many guest rooms, the windows themselves extend into a curved, cushioned bench that provides a space for guests to intimately soak in the views and mimics the experience of relaxing in a hammock amidst nature.
The lush rooftop “Canopy”
Populus’ top floor will serve as a coveted public gathering place for hotel guests and locals to drink, dine, and relish in the views, and includes a rooftop restaurant, outdoor bar, garden terrace, private dining room, and a series of hospitality suites. Designed to further connect guests and locals with their surroundings, the terrace offers dramatic views that overlook the best of Denver’s architecture and the city center, including the Colorado State Capitol, Denver’s City Hall, and expansive Civic Center Park, while the hospitality suites provide picturesque vistas of Colorado’s iconic mountains. The rooftop is also designed as a celebration of color and light, inspired by the lush canopy of a treetop and how it changes colors throughout the seasons. The restaurant features more saturated colors, with green lime wash on the ceiling and green cork walls, complemented by earthy tones like soft brown, gold, and burnt woods in the furniture and accessories and a light fixture composed of wooden disks that playfully refracts light as if peeking through the leaves. Out on the terrace, the furniture is kept neutral to let the lush landscaping and unobstructed views shine. Designed by Superbloom, the landscaping includes a row of large-scale planters that outline the terrace edge and frame the views, plus an upper-level rooftop deck filled with lush, perennial trees and flowers that visually and functionally exemplify Populus’ green ethos.
Blending of Biophilia and Art
Curated by Colorado-based artist and environmental and wildlife activist Katherine Homes, the art at Populus is thoughtfully handpicked to reflect the spirit of Colorado and foster a dialogue between biophilia and art. Drawing from her unique background working with climate change, wildlife, and conservation non-profits, and traveling to remote regions of the world to learn what drives people to connect to each other and the natural world, Katherine specifically sought out artists for Populus that are committed to giving a voice to the wild and having a light environmental footprint. She selected pieces from local Colorado artists, plus talent from around the country who are also naturalists, educators, and environmentalists, and worked closely with Wildman Chalmers Design to integrate the art seamlessly with the design.
Notable art highlights include a commissioned painting by Cheyenne and Arapaho artist Brent Learned, which tells a story of solving complex problems through active listening and peaceful communication of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes that once called Populus’ landscape home, and a sensory-evoking art experience in the elevator, which will be filled with local bird songs from Jacob Job, a Colorado-based conservationist and natural sound recording artist, who recorded bird songs in nearby Rocky Mountain National Park. The songs will vary based on both time of day and seasonality to mimic the birds and weather patterns exactly as they are found in nature at any given moment.
“In curating Populus’ art collection, we were committed to ensuring that every piece selected has a meaningful story that connects guests both with the local culture and with the natural surroundings,” said Katherine Homes. “The more you connect with nature, the more you understand it and want to preserve it. Our hope is that Populus helps give a voice to the wild and inspires people to spend time outdoors with a renewed appreciation for the earth.” | For more information, visit populusdenver.com or follow along at @Populus_Denver.
ABOUT URBAN VILLAGES, INC.
Urban Villages curates experiences through integrated real estate development and property management ventures unique to each location. The firm designs, constructs, and invests in dynamic, district-wide ventures anchored by extraordinary buildings and the spaces that connect them. No two projects ever look alike. And no endeavor is limited to a single building. The company views structures within organic, evolving networks. It redefines urban design and ecological planning to balance economic needs with environmental concerns. Urban Villages’ projects use less energy, consume fewer natural materials, generate long-lasting returns, and enhance communities. http://www.urbanvillages.com
ABOUT APARIUM HOTEL GROUP
Established in 2012 and led by founder Mario Tricoci, Aparium Hotel Group is a pioneer in the lifestyle hotel industry with individually unique, awe-inspiring, award-winning independent hotels in distinct yet underserved markets across the U.S. Inspired by the concept of “trans-local hospitality” and a desire to provide an important catalyst in the resurgence of many great American cities, Aparium Hotel Group creates memorable stays and cultural connectivity with top-of-market, design forward, locally relevant and dynamically programmed hotels and restaurants that are a destination for discerning travelers and locals alike. The hotels feature elevated services and amenities, with locally curated food and beverage programming, celebrating the entrepreneurial spirit of each community and ultimately ingraining each hotel into the fabric of the cities they inhabit. https://www.aparium.com/
ABOUT WILDMAN CHALMERS DESIGN
Established in 2014, Pittsburgh-based Wildman Chalmers Design is an award winning architectural and interior design studio with a focus on curating experiences. Collaboration, service, and creative problem solving have led to an extensive portfolio which includes residential, commercial, hospitality, educational, restaurant, and mercantile spaces. Dedicated to their clients’ goals and visions, WCD’s projects reflect their investment in creating thoughtful, impactful, enduring, and sustainable designs. www.wildmanchalmers.com
ABOUT FOWLER + FOWLER ARCHITECTURE, D.P.C
Fowler is a New York-based design firm founded by Emma Fowler and Michelle Fowler that offers concept-to-completion services. Trained in the halls of globally recognized architecture firms, the two have mastered the ins and outs of large-scale architectural productions and translated their expertise into a team of visionary designers who are nimble, approachable, and responsive. Fowler’s ability to fast track large, complex projects and execute high-end custom designs, bolstered by their hand-picked bench of talented artisans and tradespeople, bring a high level of design and execution to all levels. www.fowler.design
