Creating a Place We Love to Work

Take a look inside our new headquarters, designed to better support our growth, work and artists.

At a Colorado Business Committee for the Arts luncheon our team attended earlier this year, Governor John Hickenlooper emphasized the concept of topophilia (from the Greek topos meaning “place” and –philia, meaning “love of”), and spoke of the important role a strong creative community – with a deep network of support – plays in creating the places people love. Colorado is lucky to have many such places, and at NINE dot ARTS, we are honored to facilitate the kind of connections that create a strong sense of place and grow the creative economy.

Now in our ninth year of curating inspiring art collections that allow people to experience art as they go about their daily lives – in alleys, offices, parks, hotels and more – our growing team of dots is connecting more artists, clients and communities than ever before.

To facilitate our growth and to better support artists, we recently moved into a new headquarters at 3734 Osage St. in Denver’s Lower Highlands neighborhood. And it’s no accident that the office exemplifies the important synergies Governor Hickenlooper highlighted: a showcase of artists, supported by a committed network, all housed within a space people love to work and visit.

Here is a glimpse inside…

In order to elevate the work of the NINE dot ARTS team, we transformed the existing 1956 concrete masonry warehouse into an inviting environment where the team can excel.

Our architect partners at Neoera led the renovation, creating distinct zones to accommodate both intense concentration as well as relaxation and casual conversation. We stripped the building back to its industrial bones of concrete and steel to reveal and enhance its warehouse character, including a 13-foot ceiling made possible thanks to the discovery of a raised floor, which added two feet to the interior vertical space. It is strategically simple in layout and color to allow for the creative process to happen without distraction.

One of the most dynamic design elements of the building is the main entrance, which invites everyone behind the scenes to see where the magic happens. By relocating the main entrance to the east side loading dock, we’ve created a democratized experience for anyone visiting the space, from artists to CEOs to delivery persons.

The entrance features a garage door and large ramp to accommodate bringing massive artworks into and out of the building. A climate-controlled storage area built to house a diverse selection of art sits adjacent to an exhibition space that facilitates further connection to artists. A custom galley-style art presentation room uses art lighting, an extra-long table made from a former bowling alley lane and custom flat files for artworks on paper. A small dark room with row seating and a large screen accommodates special viewing sessions for digital artwork.

Individual, open workstation pods and team huddle areas access natural light and fresh air through operable windows. A shared employee lounge features a teepee-like enclosure atop a raised platform for relaxing or meditating.

The space is a tangible representation of our work to be a nexus point of engagement for artists and the business world, and is reflective of all the ways we connect the community for sustained creative growth in Denver and beyond. We hope to welcome you to our new home soon.

Thank you to all of the partners who supported our construction and build-out, including NeoEra, Saunders Construction, Studio NYL, Enlighten Engineering, Swanson-Levary Engineering and Associates and Studio TJOA.