Wow, can you believe it?! It’s been 15 years since Kevin Koernig took the leap to entrepreneurship, launching Studio K2, after many years designing for landmark projects while at larger, established firms. Kevin started his venture into entrepreneurship with an office on the second floor of Union Station, before its redevelopment. We are still in LoDo today, in a 160-year-old building near the 16th Street Mall. For years Kevin worked in corporate firms on large milestone projects like airports, courthouses, university buildings and government institutions, some with budgets up $500 million.
Since then, we have carved out a niche for SK2, breathing new life into buildings such as the Saddlery Building, 2801 Welton, and uniquely Denver spaces such as the Blake Street Tavern. We’ve also grown a national restaurant practice designing PF Chang’s, True Foods and many other gathering spaces, as well as multifamily projects, corporate headquarters and indoor agricultural facilities. In the last 15 years, we’ve helped more than 600 projects become reality with the help of 23 current and former employees and the many others involved on project teams. Now we enter a new chapter as Geneva Kowalski has taken over as majority shareholder. It is rewarding to see a second generation of ownership develop. Here’s to the next 15 years. Thank you to all our wonderful clients for your continued support.
We are so very proud of our fearless leader Geneva Kowalski, who graduated from the Denver International Airport – City & County of Denver Dept of Aviation Business Development Training Academy 200 yesterday. BDTA exists to supports small businesses at DEN by providing trainings and a systematic approach to providing services such as architecture, construction and concessions services at DEN. The three primary goals of the Training Academy are to create, educate and cultivate an environment where small businesses can grow and connect with other businesses and industry groups.
BDTA 200 is the second tier course in the program that helps small businesses understand the proposal process and interviewing. It’s the follow-up course to BDTA 100, which covered everything from the software systems used at the airport to safety security and other protocols.
Congratulations to Geneva and her team and all the BDTA 200 graduates!
Studio K2 has been helping developer Paul Andrews make The Crossing, his development in Buena Vista, as sustainable and community-focused as possible. The development will help solve a critical affordable housing need in our mountain communities. Studio K2 Architecture provided urban design and community development design standards, which decode historic forms found in the valley, for this project. The first phase will include 114 residences, community parks and trails including, 22 preserved pinon pine trees, and 47 new trees. SK2 is currently working on housing prototypes in collaboration with local agencies to develop sustainable strategies throughout. Official groundbreaking for Phase 1 is scheduled for June 27th, 2024!
Read more about how developer Paul Andrews is making a difference in The Arkansas Valley Voice.
The SK2-designed High Plainz Strains Drive-Thru in Fort Lupton opened earlier this spring and was featured by the Fort Lupton Press.
Studio K2 is pleased to announce it has been certified as a M/WBE by the city and county of Denver and the Colorado Unified Certification Program!
SK2 also received SBE and DBE certifications as well and we are available to provide architectural services to support your teams on public projects with established M/W/S/DBE goals.
Click here for more information on Denver’s certification program. You can also search statewide DBE-certified firms here.
A new wine and coffee bar coming soon to the Art District Flats in Denver! Returning to its original roots in the Santa Fe Arts District, the owners of Molecule Effect are creating a new space to provide a “bubbling mixture of community, art, and hand-selected items based on quality, integrity and all around deliciousness,” according to their website. More images available on The Molecule Effect project page!
This barn-style dispensary and laboratory in Milliken, CO is complete and open for business! The Westword calls it the Taj Majal of Dispensaries!
This facility integrates into the local architectural context of the area while adding a modern flair and connection to nature with exposed beams and wood finishes, and abundant natural lighting. This space redefines the typical shopping experience through an inviting and engaging environment. Glass floor-mounted windows in the dispensary create an educational focus and product transparency.
Every year at SK2, we look forward to participating in Warm a Heart, a charity event for different causes yearly that calls upon local designers to create gifts for people in need. This year, COVID-19 changed our usual expectations for our yearly crafting event! Due to the pandemic, Warm a Heart requested participants to decorate and write cards for Denver Health’s staff, patients, and families.
For our decorating theme, we decided to focus on landscapes, plants, and national parks. Kevin used his skills in watercolor painting to paint beautiful vistas of the mountains, trees, and flowers inspired by a ranch that he used to work on in New Mexico. Geneva also used watercolor to paint potted plants with different varieties and color themes. Kasey decided to use stitching with black thread to show popular natural icons from national parks. These cards are meant to inspire a sense of adventure and an appreciation for the outdoors during the challenges of being stuck inside due to COVID-19. We cant wait to participate again next year!
SK2 Architect, Geneva Kowalski, filmed a short video for Colorado Creatives on her creative inspirations that she encounters while biking through the city for her daily commute pre-Covid. Covid has changed many of our ways of life and one project that Geneva used to channel her creative energy during the beginning of lockdown in Colorado was renovating her travel camper in March through May. This renovation featured updated cabinets, plumbing hardware, and privacy screens. Watch below to find out more.
Studio K2’s Senior Architect and Executive Chair of Women in Design, Geneva Kowalski, will be a speaker in Denver’s 5th Annual Denver Design Week Session. Geneva’s session will be part of a three-part series, “Three Keys to Collaborative Design Builds from a Distance“, focused on balancing working collectively on design projects while communicating remotely as well as which strategies help to do so effectively. G, as she is affectionately called in the SK2 office, will be speaking on using online tools to coordinate tasks as well as integrating movement into communication with designers, consultants, and clients to produce great design.
This year the presentations and panel discussions will be available for online streaming. Geneva’s video series as well as 25 others on subjects relevant to current design issues and modalities will be available from October 19th to October 23rd. Tickets are available for purchase here.
