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Global Design Firm Plants Flag in Denver

Ball Arena rendering courtesy of ZGF.

ZGF, a global interdisciplinary design firm that is currently working on the Ball Arena Redevelopment Masterplan, is opening a dedicated office at Dairy Block in downtown in Denver to comprehensively serve clients throughout the Western United States.

“Denver has seen tremendous growth in the last decade and ZGF has enjoyed not only witnessing the city’s transformation but the opportunity to play a part in shaping the city that Denver is today, and will be in the coming years,” said Ted Hyman, managing partner of ZGF. “ZGF has deep roots in Colorado spanning more than three decades. Planting firm roots in Denver with key talent anchoring our new office is a natural progression of our ongoing work and reflects our belief in the promise of this thriving metropolis and region. Denver’s ideology aligns with ZGF’s commitment to people and place, and we look forward to helping shape the future of the Mile High City.”

ZGF’s new Denver office will be led by designers and Principals Sadie Cline and Ryan Velasco and will be backed by an impressive team with local market connections, a strong portfolio of built work, and major projects already well underway. Over the past thirty years, ZGF has established a name for itself in Colorado with its trailblazing designs including Children’s Hospital Colorado, and its East Tower Addition on the Anschutz Medical Campus, Rocky Mountain Institute’s Innovation Center in Basalt, and the University of Colorado Anschutz Health Sciences Building. ZGF is currently working on the Ball Arena Masterplan, which will shape downtown Denver’s future and Platte Valley, as well as the City of Boulder’s Western City Campus which includes renovating an existing building to net zero energy standards – a first for the firm.

“Denver is truly a special place – the authenticity and celebration of its history, the people and the lifestyle is unique among US cities,” said Sadie Cline, principal at ZGF. “The foundation and relationships we’ve established in Colorado over the last 30 years are strong and vast, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to grow ZGF’s presence in Denver. I know we’ll continue to design with the environment, the community, and genuineness in mind.”

Cline earned her masters from Washington State University and has been with ZGF since 2016. She is a wife, mother, and Ironman triathlete. Her work is influenced by her Pacific Northwest roots, her time in the ZGF New York office and her family’s Southern heritage.

“Planting roots in the Denver market is momentous for the firm and we are thrilled to cultivate an even deeper presence here,” said Ryan Velasco, principal at ZGF. “We look forward to continuing to shape Denver and the region through thoughtful, holistic design solutions that unite communities, support connection, and espouse Denver’s unique culture.”

A longtime ZGF’er, Velasco joined the firm as an intern and rose through the ranks to principal. Velasco and his wife are both avid snowboarders and their love for the outdoors drew them to Denver. As a graduate of the University of Arizona, he has experienced the realities of extreme climate firsthand which influences his work designing buildings that minimize their impact on the environment.

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