FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 9, 2018

DENVER DESIGN AGENCY WILL ADD NEW LAYER OF HISTORY TO COLORADO ICON

ArtHouseDesign selected to create signage and wayfinding program for Colorado State Capitol

DENVER, Colo.—The General Assembly of the State of Colorado has hired ArtHouse Design to create a signage and wayfinding program for the Colorado State Capitol Building and the Legislative Services Building. The civic design project kicked off in November 2017 with branding and project positioning exercisesand will culminate in the installation of exterior, interior and interpretive signage, scheduled to be completed in late 2018.

ArtHouse’s project lead designers Beth Rosa and Zach Kotel are working with a team of State Capitolstaff to develop fluid, functional and intuitive designs.Their solutions will improve the welcoming environment of the State Capitol and Legislative Services Building whileintegrating with the complex architecture of one of Colorado’s most influential and iconicplaces.

“Diverse groups of people, from elected officials and government employees to visitors and tourists, use the historic building, and the needs and usage of the space change throughout the year and after each election,” said ArtHouse Senior Designer Zach Kotel. “To address different challenges such as these, our efforts have tobe uniquely creative, thoughtful and deliberate.”

Takinga nontraditional approach to a very traditional structure, ArtHouseseeks to achieve the followingwith the Colorado State Capitol signage and wayfinding program:

  • enable visitors and staff to orient themselves;
  • facilitate travel to and from important destinations;
  • develop and enhance the visitor experience and unify the aesthetic image of the wayfinding signage;
  • enhance the sense of place that is evident throughout the space;
  • highlight and support the building’s character and history;
  • and address the diverse needs of visitors with bilingual sign messages, icons and delineation between public and back of house spaces.

The State Capitol and the Legislative Services Building are located at 200 East Colfax Avenue in Denver’s Capitol Hill and Civic Center National Historic Landmark Districts. Originally designed by Elijah E. Meyers and opened for use in November 1894, the Neoclassical building is home to the Colorado General Assembly, the Offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Colorado, the Office of the State Treasurer and numerous legislative staff agencies. Well known for its golden dome, “One Mile Above Sea Level” mile-high markers, rose onyx wainscoting and Mr. Brown’s Attic, the State Capitol also holds secrets covered by decades of renovations beneath its surface.

“We took a private tour to get an insider’s perspective of the Capitol and discovered marvelousremnants of the past, such as hand-painted stenciling under acoustic tiling,” said ArtHouse Design Director Beth Rosa. “Using original drawings of architectural sets to inform our designs, we are adding another layer to Colorado’s history with reverence and respect.”

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“Experiential graphic design opens doors to exclusiveopportunities such as this that a lot of designers only dream about,” said Kotel. “Born and raised in Colorado, I love to work on local projects that teach us more about the community we live in.”

“We’re proud of all of the pins we’ve put in the map with municipal design projects, but as a Denver design agency we’re thrilled to be chosen for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to leave our mark on Colorado,” said ArtHousePrincipal and Creative Director Marty Gregg. “Plus, we love finishing up a meeting and having the clientstell us it was the highlight of their day.”

ArtHousehas won numerous industry and civic awards from HOW, GDUSA, UCDA, ASLA, Graphis and the City of Denver for its signage and wayfinding programs for otherdesign projects, such asDenver’s 14th Street Revitalization project and the Denver Art Museum.

Source: The Written Effect, 720.989.1912

About ArtHouse Design

ArtHouse Design is a Denver-based, full-service design firm devoted to the creation of beautiful, thoughtful design. Nimble and versatile, ArtHouse has a wide range of expertise, from wayfinding and signage to branding and identity, from print and packaging to donor recognition.Specialists in designing for and shaping user-friendly, built environments, ArtHouse leads the experiential graphic design community in design implementation for placemaking, partnering with architects, municipalities, developers and interior designers to improve public spaces.For more, visit ArtHouse’sblog and follow their social media channels on Facebook, Twitter andInstagram.

Media Contact

Mindy Viering, Chief Content Officer, (call/text) 720.989.1912,

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