Bear Creek Apartments at Williams Village

University of Colorado at Boulder

Submitted by Swinerton Builders

Bear Creek Apartments were designed for upper-division and graduate students and feature a mix of private- and shared-bedroom accommodations.

The apartments were designed as student housing with every unit offering the same basic facilities - bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen and a living area - all completely furnished.

Amenities include a business center on the main floor that allows students to log on to a network for color printer and fax services, card-controlled access to the buildings, units designed for wheelchair access, bike racks, social lounges and study areas, a 24-hour courtesy patrol and onsite management and maintenance staff.

The buildings are structural steel frame, with a facade that includes masonry veneer with limestone-trimmed windows and asphalt shingle roofs, mimicking the historic buildings on the main campus.

The first building was completed on time, in spite of starting three months later than expected. The second building was completed eight months ahead of schedule, allowing the client to begin leasing space sooner than expected.

Construction of the two buildings was unique because of a proprietary steel system by Vescom that uses lighter steel and smaller columns and joists, resulting in a process that is faster than traditional steel framing.

These two buildings are the first phase in a project to create 1,900 student housing beds, 200 condos for faculty and staff and a multipurpose support facility.

This project was conceived by the University's Board of Regents and financed by the University of Colorado Foundation through the sale of revenue bonds.

Project Team

Owner: American Campus Communities
Architect: OZ Architecture
Design Team: ABS Consultants Inc.; SCA Consulting Engineers; Drexel, Barrell & Company; Civitas
General Contractor: Swinerton Builders
Major Subs: Allied Steel, Front Range Excavating, Heating & Plumbing Engineers, Piper Electric, Soderberg Masonry, Sprehe Interior Construction

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