Gensler-Designed MOTO Wins Wood Design Award
The mixed-use boutique apartment community in Denver's Capitol Hill neighborhood was built with wood elements that made for a speedy construction and aesthetic appeal.
Denver—Making its debut in late 2015, the 64-unit MOTO offers a unique wood design that was recently recognized by WoodWorks as a 2017 Wood Design Award winner. Named for its “middle of town’ location, the property features four stories of wood-frame apartments on top of a two-story concrete podium and an above-grade parking garage. The boutique, mixed-use apartment community is located in Denver’s cultural Capitol Hill neighborhood, offering onsite coffee shop Black Eye Coffee and Proper Barbershop on the ground floor. Other amenities include a lobby with communal tables and seating, a second-floor pool deck and and lounge, rooftop kitchen and grilling station, and a bikeshare program.
Designed by Gensler, MOTO was built using wood due to its quick installation—a panelized wall system allowed each level of the building to be framed in about a week and the entire project in less than a month. The residential portion of the building is also unique, with each level sliding two feet away from the level below it, showing a cedar underside. Additional wood finishes include cedar tongue and groove soffits, trellis and pool deck railings, and pine slab doors.
After less than a year of ownership, Elevation Development Group sold the MOTO apartments at 820 Sherman St., in September 2016 for $25. 3 million. Denver MOTO LLC, a California-based firm managed by John Evilsizor, was the buyer. HFF’s Jordan Robbins and Jeff Haag brokered the deal on behalf of the seller.