Kabin
Kabin is the newest residential addition to the Taxi campus, a 28-acre former Yellow Cab depot transformed into a mixed-use community over the past 20 years. Kabin’s site is a long, narrow strip, sandwiched between an active rail yard and a regional transportation facility. Despite this seemingly compromised location, the rail yard guarantees permanent, uninterrupted mountain views and the narrow site allows for maximum light infiltration into the building. The resulting building contains 194 efficient, 420 square-foot units that address the urban workforce housing crisis which has only been aggravated by the pandemic.
Each residence features a glass garage door that opens the living space to gardens, fresh air, and mountain and city views. These garage doors take advantage of Colorado’s 300-days of sunshine per year, filling the Nordic-inspired interiors with daylight. Polished concrete floors and natural cedar cladding gives the loft-like apartments the comfort of a cabin amidst an industrial context.
Kabin contributes to the cultural fabric of Taxi by connecting residents to its 28-acre, mixed-use community. Known for its business incubation with creative companies, the Taxi campus provides its several hundred residents with hotel amenities including two incubator culinary concepts, community gardens, a shipping container pool, an early childhood education center, and plenty of green space.
Kabin engages in practices of environmental reclamation and stewardship. The site was a brownfield which required an environmental clean-up coordinated with the Colorado Department of Public Health and with Safety’s Voluntary Clean-up Program. Green stormwater features treat and control stormwater runoff while sustainable landscape features minimize the heat-island effect. Finally, efficient apartment layouts utilize natural light and ventilation to minimize energy usage while providing the resident a connection to the outdoors.
Denver, Colorado
110,000 square feet
Completed 2020
2023 AIA Wyoming Award of Merit
2021 Urban Land Institute Americas Awards for Excellence Finalist
2020 Nominated Dezeen Building of the Year
