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At the foot of the Rocky Mountains, I explored an immersive celebration of one of the world's most enduring and elegant creatures -- the horse.
Equi
International
Intermediate Architecture Studio
University of Colorado Boulder
Fall 2022
The Denver Polo Club
Sedalia, Colorado
Stella Newman; Partner
Exploring rural beauty
In this Intermediate Architecture Studio, we were tasked with designing a new campus for the Denver Polo Club.
With my partner Stella Newman, I learned to utilize teamwork in tandem with the creative process to gather inspiration and address design challengaes.
During the several site visits, my studio had the opportunity to explore the sprawling 200 acre landscape of the Denver Polo Club. The Club is the annual host of the Denver Polo Fest, adding a dynamic layer to its allure.
My oberservations were keenly attuned to the rich tapestry of natural vegetation, picturesque views, rolling topography and rural beauty of the site, all of which emerged as pivotal sources of inspiration in our design evolution.
While the expansive features of the site were apparent, it also prompted a need to discern the specific uses and users that would derive the greatest benefit from the envisioned development of a new Club Campus.
The Denver Polo Club
Denver, Colorado
Denver Polo Club has been Colorado's premier international polo club for more than three decades. It hosts major events each year offering Colorado's best --great polo in a great climate -- to people around the world.
Denver Polo Club Inc.
Using collaborative brainstorming in tandem with multiple visits to the Denver Polo Club, my partner and I engaged in a collaborative brainstorming session to explore a spectrum of potential innovations.
We found that the enhancements to the site would include the integration of new stables, an indoor arena, a practice arena, a small hotel, a restaurant, an education center, gardens, paved roads and stadium style seating.
We provided hierarchy to this system using the diagram to the right.
We can be bold, and we can also be soft.
This moment struck a chord with me, emphasizing the profound connection that exists between humans and their equine companions. This prompted me to narrow my focus on accentuating the user experience of the site.
During one of our site visits, I caught snippets of a conversation between a young girl and her horse. She expressed,
In order to uplift the experience of site users, I focused in on the development of the Education Center, Hotel and Restaurant, while my partner focused on the needs of horses and Equestrians.
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Using Lumion as a rendering software, we were able to bring the design to life, maintainning a composition of boldness and softness through this imagery.
Functioning as a museum, I wanted to embody the timeless roll that horses have had on the human experience, appreciating their softness and also their boldness. To do this, I designed a simplistic facade to house rotating exhibits and research spaces showcasing the variety of experiences presented at the Denver Polo Club.
Equestrian
learning center
To host employees, players, visitors, researchers and students, the Equestrian Learning Center became the central feature of the site, acting as a gateway feature towards the Arenas, Stables, Hotel, Dining and Polo Field Viewing.
We are intrinsically linked to the power of the horse, evidenced by this mural within the Lascaux Caves in France, one of the oldest artworks ever created by humans.
Both the Education Center and Hotel Restaurant spaces were designed to be used for visitors and also function as a central plaza for the site. I explored how the arrangement and facades of these buildings could encompass the transition from bolness to softeness.
Community
hospitality
In the interest of hosting day to day activities to large events, the site would need a Hotel and Restaurant to accommodate guests and compliment the adjacent community courtyard. The hotel design attempts to mimic the form of the Learning Center and the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains while providing an ambiance for a variety of visitors.
For those traveling nationally and internationally to the Denver Polo Club, the hotel provides easy access to the Stables and embraces the vibrancy of the larger Campus.
reflecting the colorado landscape
Surrounding the Learning Center, Hotel, Restaurant and larger site are sprawling gardens of natural vegetation providing serene walking routes from one building to another, with consistent views of the polo fields and backdrop of the Colorado Rockies.
Polo Field Seatig is center stage as one walks through the spacious courtyard and ascends to the fields.
