Urban Villages is a Colorado-based real estate developer known for its environmental efforts, and now the company is building the country's first-ever carbon-positive hotel in the city of Denver.

According to Forbes, buildings currently account for 45 percent of greenhouse emissions, which is why there's been such an increase in carbon-neutral construction in recent years.

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Populus is on track to open in Denver by late 2023. The unique eco-conscious hotel will include 265 guest rooms, a hip rooftop restaurant and bar that will have stunning views of the mountains and city skyline as well as a garden terrace, plus retail and event spaces on the ground floor. There will be 14 floors in total.

Designed by AD100 architecture firm Studio Gang and inspired by the aspen trees of Colorado, the hotel's exterior is quirky and eye-catching. A ton of thought was put into designing the windows. The shape and pattern of the windows are aimed to mirror the growth process of these distinct western trees, and they are specially constructed to perform efficiently in Denver’s ranging climate. The way they are shaped also helps to shade the interior of the hotel while improving the building's overall energy performance. Additionally, the lids on the windows channel rainwater which will help to keep the hotel's facade clean and bright over time. The exterior was also designed to resemble the bark of an aspen tree.

First Carbon-Positive Hotel in the Country is Coming to Colorado
Urbanvillages.com
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Several other measures are being taken to minimize the hotel's overall carbon footprint. During the development stage, the builders plan to use low-carbon concrete mixes and high-recycled content materials. The developers also made a commitment to plant trees equivalent to over 5,000 acres of forest during the project's completion.

Once it's open, Populus will follow U.S. Green Building Council codes in order to achieve LEED Gold certification. The hotel's daily operations will center around being as carbon-positive and sustainable as possible.

The triangular-shaped hotel is located at the corner of 14th Street and Colfax Avenue, adjacent to Civic Center Park.

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