Denver Art Museum
Denver, Colorado
“Engineers were challenged to create a stable supporting structure for a building with no true vertical walls.” ARUP
Inspired by the jagged profile of the Rocky Mountains, the Denver Art Museum has a silhouette more like a ship than a building.
“Except for its central elevator core, the building has no true vertical walls. Its ceilings and risers slope at all angles. The engineering challenge was to create a stable supporting structure for a building that did away with typical means of support.”
As the lead Connection Design Engineer, J.R. Barker pioneered the use of BIM technology and pushed the boundaries on what had been done previously. The use of 3-D Modeling revolutionized the project and created collaboration and technical advancements that otherwise would not have been possible.
“The structure is a testament to the power of integrated teamwork and 3-D Building Information Modeling (BIM), through which the design and construction of the building was made practical. 3-D modeling software (SAP2000 Tekla Structures) and BIM were keys to understanding the spatial relationships and detecting conflicts prior to construction. This approach enabled “virtual construction” before the first workers arrived on site before the complex components were fabricated.” Structure Magazine
The Denver Art Museum has won numerous awards for its feat in architecture and design and continues to be an icon of Denver.
Lead Connection Design Engineer | 2003