Saunders Construction Celebrates Topping Out of University of Denver First-Year Residence Hall

First Building in the Denver Advantage Campus Framework Plan Will House 500 First-Year Students,
Student Support Services and Numerous Gathering Spaces

(Englewood, Colo.) – September 30, 2019 – Saunders Construction, a leading general contractor in Colorado, and the University of Denver (DU), recently celebrated the topping out of the Dimond Family Residential Village, the new first-year residence hall on the DU Campus, just seven months after they broke ground on the building in April 2019. The Dimond Family Residential Village will be a 132,000-square-foot residence hall, and the first of three buildings to be built in the first phase of the Denver Advantage Campus Framework Plan. It will provide housing for 500 first-year students as well as a series of campus-serving programs. The project is on track to open in fall 2020.

“Saunders has a long history of projects in higher education and with the University of Denver. We’re thrilled to be a part of the team bringing The Denver Advantage Plan to life and thrilled to be ahead of schedule,” said Justin Cooper, Vice President of Saunders. “As the first building being rolled out as part of this plan, the Dimond Family Residential Village will serve as a state-of-the-art community space where students will cultivate relationships and collaboratively learn. The expertly designed facility by Anderson Mason Dale integrates DU’s rich architectural history with modern form.”

Saunders and the University of Denver celebrated the topping out on Friday, September 20^th at the Galena Foundation Outdoor Classroom on campus, at which time representatives from the Dimond family had the chance to place the final beam—which had been signed by the University community days before. Additional attendees included DU leadership and trustees including Chancellor Jeremy Haefner, students and faculty.

The building will feature shared use space, offices, apartments, and 261 sleeping rooms. Built on the footprint of the north side of the Driscoll Student Center and located at the heart of campus, the Dimond Family Residential Village will house spaces for classes, programming, studying and collaborative opportunities, as well as a central dining hall to bring people together for meals and conversation. Several interesting featues bring the building to life including a double level skywalk called the “treehouse,” a copper pitched roof, and an unique area between the east and west buildings that will mimic a canyon. The build-out of the project has entailed 7,600 cubic yards of concrete, 492 workers on site and 17 diverse subcontractors to ensure the project remains on time and on budget.

About Saunders
Saunders serves the commercial building industry as a full-service general contractor, design-builder and construction manager. A leader in the Colorado construction industry since its inception in 1972, Saunders’ experience includes a wide range of project types. Saunders is one of the region’s largest general contractors and is the recipient of more than 100 industry awards for its construction excellence, employee achievements and community contributions. In addition, Saunders is a member of the Citadel Group – an alliance of seven regional construction-related companies with operations in 19 cities.

About The University of Denver
Founded in 1864, the University of Denver is committed to engaging with students in advancing scholarly inquiry, cultivating critical and creative thought, and generating knowledge. The University strives to educate the 21st-century citizens and leaders needed in its organizations and communities. For additional information, visit the University’s newsroom or follow the University on Facebook and Twitter.