SmithGroup The University of Colorado-Denver Lola & Rob Salazar Wellness Center

This facility focuses on holistic wellness for a traditionally commuter-based university, transforming the student experience with a wide range of recreation and wellness activities and resources, and providing a landmark presence at the edge of campus overlooking downtown. One of three institutions comprising a larger downtown Denver, Colorado higher education campus, this University has seen dramatic growth over the past decade but has struggled to develop its own distinct identity within this tripartite organization. The wellness center was originally envisioned by student leadership as a means to build a more complete campus experience, to advance an institutional brand that speaks to their values of holistic balance and academic enrichment, to create a home outside classroom hours for students to feel welcome and at ease, and not least of which, to provide an outstanding facility to attract and retain the highest caliber students from across the country.