Historic Denver is currently accepting nominations for preservation projects and people who should be honored in Historic Denver’s 2024 Awards program. Honorees will be presented in person at the 54th Annual Historic Denver Gala on October 10, 2024 at the Brown Palace Hotel. Submit nominations at historicdenver.org no later than Friday, May 31, 2024
Honorees are selected from the following categories:
Community Preservation Awards – Presented to projects, institutions, or community efforts that have made an exceptional contribution to the preservation of Denver’s heritage. These projects exemplify high-quality restoration or rehabilitation, the careful consideration of the city’s historic fabric, and a commitment to community.
Remix Award – Presented to projects that have creatively combined the old and new. Typically, these projects involve historic or existing structures with significant additions or alterations that add to, and do not detract, from the building’s story or the community’s appreciation of the structure.
Infill Award (NEW) – Presented to newly built projects situated within historic districts, whether commercial or residential. These developments stand out for their sensitivity to scale and street-wall aesthetics, while also showcasing ingenuity in their composition. They skillfully blend modern design elements within a historic context.
Individual Awards – Historic Denver presents three individual awards each year:
o Ann Love Award – Honors a person that does not consider themselves a traditional preservationist but has shown initiative, creativity, and commitment in preserving the history, culture and architecture of Denver.
o Margaret Brown Award – Honors someone who lives in Margaret “Molly” Brown’s spirit today by devoting many years to civic life in all its forms, actively engaging in politics, philanthropy, arts and culture, and historic preservation.
o Keystone Award – Honors a person that has made a significant contribution to historic preservation over a career or lifetime. In some instances, the individual awards may be given to a couple, a partnership, or a specific group of people.
Selection Process & Criteria
A jury of current Historic Denver Board Members and past award winners review the nominations and recommend a slate of award winners to be approved by the full board. We seek to ensure that a range of project types and efforts are included, upholding our organization’s diversity, equity, inclusion and access values.
Nominations are also considered based on the following criteria:
o Impact: The effect that a project or person has had on the Denver community, including the benefits brought to the city.
o Exemplar: The extent to which the project sets a high standard for historic preservation, serving as a model for others to emulate.
o DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access): The level of support provided by the project or person towards fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and access within the community.
o Sustainability: The degree to which a project or person contributes to environmental sustainability, encompassing factors such as construction methods, embodied energy, energy usage, etc.
o Innovation: The creativity and originality demonstrated in preservation efforts, including unique partnerships, community engagement strategies, adaptive reuse approaches, sustainable practices, technological advancements, and innovative financing methods.
For over 50 years, Historic Denver, a grass roots private non-profit, has brought together our city’s civic and business leaders, design professionals, respected craftspeople, and local advocates to celebrate our city’s heritage and built environment.
