Exterior Historic Detail		Exterior		Renovated Interior

THE AUSTIN BUILDING

In her role as Design/Development Director at Northeast Denver Housing, Cheryl Spector and her team were hired to renovate the Austin Building on York and Colfax in Denver, Colorado. The goal of the project was to provide quality, affordable housing, while addressing the issues of historic integrity, sustainability and neighborhood revitalization.

The following elements work together to make this a sustainable project:

Historic Preservation:

• Obtained designation as local, state and national historic landmark.
• Historic designation provided access to grants and tax credits.
  

Green Building:

• Renovated existing structures, salvaged existing building materials and incorporated recycled and natural products.
• Reduced health hazards, waste and airborne pollution through use of materials that contain, and methods that produce low toxicity.
• Reduced energy consumption through use of energy efficient appliances and fixtures.
  

Affordability:

• Financed project using a combination of 10 tax credits, and other funders in the public and private sector.
• Optimized energy efficiency through us of long lasting, durable materials and thus decreased the on-going cost of maintaining the building.
• Restricted tenants to those earning 55% of Denver's mean income or less.