Semple Brown was selected by Urban Villages to master plan a mixed use development on the historic Rock Drill site located in Denver’s RiNo neighborhood. The Rock Drill site is comprised of 9 acres of existing historic buildings with ample open space accessible from all buildings, creating a campus of interconnecting spaces. The layout, light quality, and scale translates perfectly to a twenty-first century campus vibe, with multiple opportunities for indoor-outdoor connections.

Demolition of certain lesser structures will provide a variety of outdoor spaces, fronted by existing historic masonry facades. The main North-South spine through the campus is a 25 foot wide by 200 foot long vacated street, lined with brick facades and steel storefronts, creating a perfectly scaled activated urban space. The main piazza, running east-west, created by the removal of non-historic structures, is perfectly suited for a large urban farm as well as weekly farmers markets, and outdoor dining for restaurant in the proposed retail zone surrounding it. At the hub of these two urban spaces are two new 3 & 4 story infill mixed use buildings. The campus allows for multiple uses, such as hosing, retail, restaurants, concerts, and events, creating a truly vibrant mixed-use neighborhood infused with divers and creative uses.