“The interesting thing about architecture is that it is art with utility,” says Brian Klipp. “The fundamental test of a building is not that it achieves a certain style — but does it achieve utility with that style? The practice continues to evolve as new commissions come along. You apply that thinking to new design opportunities, and more complex responses emerge.” This progression at architectural firm Klipp includes an impressive list of public and commercial works: Denver’s Central Library (with architect Michael Graves), Denver’s new Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse, Denver School of the Arts, Gates Corporation World Headquarters, and more. Here are a few of the firm’s masterworks.

At the Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center, Klipp constructed a clear spine that runs along California Street — a glass canyon with an urban view.

“We have light rail sliding by, pedestrians on the sidewalk, convention attendees looking for meetings. How do you shape a building to relate to all these audiences? It’s almost like a little village. Pedestrian traffic; people checking in and out of the hotel; wedding parties; people filtering through restaurants, coffee shops, stores — it was a confluence of opportunities and all the requirements that came with them with a focus on the street. Each person may be engaged in their activity, but they are part of a functioning whole.”

In the Sage Building’s gallery, earth, sky, and heavy metal reach an easy balance.

“We tend not to use materials that are highly polished or highly reflective. We like the way light plays on natural surfaces. Stone, wood, certain metallics that have a brushed or roughened finish can soften and transform natural light to create an atmosphere of comfort — even if the lines of the design are straight and modern.”

The Wildlife Experience in Parker is located in a commercial district, so Klipp had to transition people out of the business setting into a wildlife setting.

“We shifted people’s sense of being by shaping the building around an outdoor court. They walk along a 30-foot stone wall, which echoes the feeling of walking down into a Colorado canyon. We focused on horizontal lines in the building, a prairie architecture, which integrated well with the land. These lines became great opportunities to shade the building from heat, increasing sustainability. We did not add water features, only used what was there. We thought about how light entered the building.”