Classical civic building for a historic site
Completed in Fall 2025 at University of Colorado Denver for my M Arch, this design proposes a new, 3,675 SF visitors center for Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest. Drawing from classical and Jeffersonian architectural principles, the building balances presence and restraint, creating a dignified civic threshold without overshadowing the historical landmark. Spatial organization centers on an octagonal reception hall illuminated from above.
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The site strategy carefully choreographs arrival and movement, separating car and bus drop-off zones while framing hedge gardens, a reflecting pool, and intimate seating areas. A grand Ionic portico establishes civic presence at the main entrance, leading into a foyer that distributes visitors toward a lecture room, showroom, or central octagon reception space. The octagon acts as the symbolic and organizational heart of the building.
Behind this central space lies a gift shop that opens to gardens and outdoor gathering areas. Flanked corridors connect to secondary porticos and discreet vertical circulation to a staff-only second floor. Above the octagonal room, frosted glass floor panels allow light from a skylight to filter downward, solving the challenge of illuminating a windowless central volume while maintaining privacy.
Constructed conceptually in wood and stone to reflect a vernacular character, the building incorporates classical detailing such as Ionic columns, broken pediments, and carefully proportioned window hierarchies. Developed through AutoCAD documentation, Revit modeling, and Twinmotion renderings, the project demonstrates historical sensitivity, spatial clarity, and technical resolution at a DD-level.
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