Denver International Airport

Civitas, BRW and DHM Design teamed with SWA Group to form a joint venture team to master plan and design the site and landscape for the new Denver International Airport. The team began work during final site selection and worked for several years developing design standards and guidelines for the site, landscape, support areas and airport terminal interior landscapes.

Civitas led the conceptual development of the design concepts, which were grounded in notions of low-water usage, natural prairie and prairie wetland habitat restorations, and sequences of views for arriving and departing travellers. The team developed grading and landscape plans for roughly 1,000 acres of total site area including a full range of upland and lowland habitats and the creation of a visual sequence to introduce the traveller to the high plains of Colorado.

Civitas worked in parallel with Fentress Bradburn Architects in organizing and designing the site specific to the terminal building, parking and pedestrian areas around and within the airport. Civitas also worked with the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Committee and the Mayor’s Committee on Public Art to collaborate with a dozen local and nationally recognized artists to develop works on the site and within the terminal and concourses.

Client: Denver International Airport Authority
Partners: Fentress Architects
Completed: 1995
Budget: Over $50 million
Location: Denver, CO