Valerian in association with the Parker Jordan Metropolitan District Receives an Honor Award and Land Stewardship Award for the Cherry Creek Valley Ecological Park Activity Book.
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Working with the Cherry Creek Stewardship Partners, Cherry Creek School District, Red Hawk Ridge Elementary School principal, teachers, and parents; Valerian had a unique opportunity to become part of the environmental education of elementary students. The Cherry Creek Valley Ecological Park Activity Book and accompanying Teacher's Guide were designed by Valerian and edited by the Red Hawk Ridge School District Principal and staff. |
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Contributing to the Communities Where we Work and Live is a Fundamental Part of Valerian's Way of Doing Business. We Seek Opportunities to Collaborate with our Clients, Colleagues, and Non-Profit Organizations to Affect the World We are a Part of Every Day.
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Challenge Foundation, Inc.
The Challenge Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization, was established with the ultimate objective of helping inner city youth attend college and mature into active, contributing adults. Each summer Valerian welcomes Challenge Foundation students to the office for an education session about the career of landscape architecture. In addition to our company providing financial support for the foundation, Susan Brown is in her 4th year of a seven year mentoring commitment with Bella Nunez. Leticia Nunez, Bella's mother, is not only employed with Valerian, but she is also the care giver and Spanish teacher for Chris Cain's son Jameson. What sets the Challenge Foundation apart from other programs is the long-term, holistic approach that provides a positive, supportive and constructive environment, both inside the classroom and outside the school. We are happy to be a part of such a wonderful organization.
Race for the Cure
Every year in October over 30 Valerian staff, friends, and family members join the women, men and children of
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Cherry Creek Stewardship Partners
The Cherry Creek Stewardship Partners is an association of a broad range of stakeholders actively promoting effective stewardship of Cherry Creek and other local watersheds. The Partners bring together members from land use jurisdictions, state and federal resource management agencies, conservation, recreation, historic preservation groups, the business community, and interested citizens.
Each year in September Valerian participates in the Annual Cherry Creek Race for the Watershed through the beautiful Cherry Creek watershed. The relay race, a rally award format 50 miles in length, traverses Douglas and Arapahoe counties, Parker, Centennial,
Our Team came in last this year due to the fact that Adam got lost, took a wrong turn, and found the right trail after the entire race had finished. A good time was had by all.
Three Years in a Row: Valerian Placed in Top 100 Women-Owned Businesses in Colorado According to Colorado Biz Magazine
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Susan Brown, Principal of Valerian, holds the award received for being listed in the Top 100 Women-Owned Businesses in Colorado |
Valerian is placed among the Top 100 Women-Owned Businesses in Colorado. Established in 1990 by its principal Susan Brown, Valerian is a firm dedicated to building and maintaining a reputation for excellence in planning and landscape architecture. In Colorado Biz Magazine, Colorado women-owned businesses are surveyed based on gross revenues from the previous fiscal year. These accomplishments are a great honor for Valerian as we hope to move up in the ranking with continued success. |
Valerian Found, Re-Designed, Renovated and Moved Into Their Own Building!
In July of 2005 Valerian began the process of finding a new home. In less than one year, eight months to be specific, a new place to let the creative juices flow was found, purchased, re-designed, renovated and occupied by the Valerian team. As of February 10, 2006 our new home is now at 2734 West 28th Avenue, in Denver, Colorado 80211.
In recent years, Valerian's design team has expanded. Along with that expansion has been our increasing desire to own our creative office environment. Not just a place that we refer to as an office, a place of employment, a place that we spend the better part of our waking hours during the week, but a place that would reflected the creativity and uniqueness that sets Valerian apart from the rest of the landscape architecture and planning industry.
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Meeting to discuss the doors that will hang at the east side entrance. |
Painting the walls utilizing a color pallette inspired by the 1930's. |
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Sanding the doors that will hang at the East entrance. |
Laying the glass block wall in the reception area. |
From the first day that the Valerian team walked into the 1930s, 8,700 square foot building, a site that throughout its history housed an advertising company, a bakery garage, and a metal shop, we knew we had found our special work environment. With the help of over twelve different contractors that specialize in unique architectural space design, the 1930s warehouse was converted into a truly innovative architectural experience.
The Valerian team's design incorporates the popular 1930s Art Deco theme into the renovation. During the 1930s, the Art Deco style was thriving. Art Deco was typically colorful and whimsical. Valerian staff met for several design charettes to determine the space layout for optimal working conditions and the overall design theme.
To bring the resulting design to life, Matt, Max and Susan visited a local business, Architectural Antiques, to search for the focal point of our new space. We chose a 16 1/2' x 14' storefront that was from the 1890's to be the entrance to our conference room. It was from this cornerstone that our new office began to take shape.
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Conference
Room Before |
Conference Room Before |
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Conference Room After |
We hired college students on their winter break to sand, clean and paint not only the store front but the existing wood doors that would become what is now a new entrance to the space on the east side of the building.
Aaron and Greg designed and painted a large mural for the back wall that incorporates the 1930s style and depicts a historical perspective exemplifying landscape architecture in its broadest sense up through today.
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Mural
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Mural After |
Chris Cain took the lead to tile the bathrooms in black tile with accent glass tile and sconces from Adagio in Boulder with the assistance of Alison Cain, Chris March and Nicole. Adam and Noah added wood beams to the top of the brick walls to cover up the exposed insulation.
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Bathroom Before |
Bathroom After |
Max designed the doorway for the east side of the building. This design includes glass block, antique doors and tile. Greg took the lead on the design of the exterior landscape improvements to the building. Heather worked on the design details of the reception planting area.
Chris Cain designed and purchased the loft/conference room decor, now referred to as the "Tiki Room", which includes a Tiki umbrella, outdoor furniture and a turf grass floor. Rene was responsible for tracking the contractor billing, payments and the overall office move. Susan served as project manager for the renovation.
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East
Side Doors Before |
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East Side Doors After |
As you can see, the entire Valerian team takes great pride in their new business venture.
The Valerian team looks forward to many years of growth in our new "home away from home" and we hope that ours clients, couriers, friends, family and everyone who stops by the building will enjoy the space as much as we do.
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Front Reception Area |
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Stairs Leading to the "Tiki Room" |
We have all worked hard to make this building and its unique design become a reality and constant fixture in our daily lives. We invite everyone to stop by and experience a product of exceptional teamwork.
Valerian Designs Memorial Tribute to Military Veterans
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"Memorial
a tribute to military veterans" An Article from by Thornton Veterans Memorial from the Northglenn/Thornton
Sentinel |
A 17,000 square foot veterans memorial is slated for a highly visible spot in Thornton. For the past eight months, the Thornton Veterans Memorial Foundation has worked to bring a new memorial to the city. A ground breaking for the memorial will not take place until a park at 138th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard is completed and the Internal Revenue Service assigns a tax ID number for the memorial. Once the ID is secured, the foundation will start selling bricks to raise funds for the memorial construction.
The idea for a memorial circulated in Thornton for years, but it wasn't until the United States invaded Iraq that people started pushing the effort, said Terry Cooper, the foundation spokesperson. Cooper's son, Thomas Slocum, was the first Coloradan to die in the war on terror in Iraq. He was from Thornton and died at the age of 22.
"All the stuff I've been involved with since I've lost my son is a way of healing," Cooper said. "Now that I've lost him, I want to make sure he isn’t forgotten." When the memorial committee formed in March, the members created a wish list for the memorial. "It was a tremendously long wish list," Cooper said.
The committee narrowed it down a bit and created subcommittees to work on different tasks. "We had a committee that went around and looked at locations," Cooper said.
The committee chose an 18-acre vacant site in the Homestead Hills subdivision between 138th and 140th avenues next to Colorado Boulevard as the site for the memorial. "It's the highest location in the city, and we wanted it to be visible," said Ward 3 Councilmember Rebecca Cavanaugh-Miller, who is helping with the memorial.
The city must install a water tank and finish the park before breaking ground for the memorial, but it's not known when it will be completed, said Cavanaugh-Miller, whose father was a Marine. Land has not yet been cleared for the park.
Councilmember Martin Wisniewski from Ward 3 is also helping with the memorial. "To me (the memorial) recognizes people who sacrifice everything for the country," he said. Wisniewski's son, Justin, is currently stationed at Camp Pendleton, and served in Iraq. "People who want to have a veterans' event will have a place to do it," Wisniewski said.
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Comceptual Memorial Plan |
The memorial design was based on a wish list from the committee. The memorial will have five sides representing the five areas of service in the military. It's designed to look like a star and will take about three months to construct.
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The memorial will occupy 17,000 square-feet on the 18-acre park. The completion date of the park and the memorial, along with a projected cost of the memorial, should be announced sometime this year after all the plans are finalized.
More news coming soon...
