Denver City Wire

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On May 15, Denver City Council voted to designate the Alan Golin Gass house located at 602 South Harrison Lane. This house is now Denver’s 364th local landmark. Constructed in 1961 based on a design by Gass, the Alan Golin Gass House is significant for its association with the post-World War II residential development of Denver. The house is representative of a collection of architects experimenting with housing innovation and promoting new types of residential development in post-war Denver. These architects helped shape development in post-war Denver.

The house represents the evolution of Modern architecture in Denver after World War II. Character-defining features of the house include the dramatic roof form with a domed skylight and deep overhanging eaves; large decks with broad expanses of glass to provide indoor/outdoor connections; an open-plan and flexible interior with a bi-level floor plan; the combination of concrete, brick, and wood; symmetrical and geometric design elements; and an angled lot orientation.

“Denver is fortunate to have retained so many great buildings that show different periods from the city’s history, including the modernist home at 602 S. Harrison Lane,” said Jennifer Cappeto, Denver Landmark Preservation manager. “Our landmark preservation work would not be as successful without the partnership of Denver residents and communities around the city.”

The Alan Golin Gass House is significant example of the work of Alan Golin Gass, who made substantial contributions to the fields of architecture and urban planning in Colorado. During his long career he was a prominent member of Denver’s architectural community working both independently and collaboratively with other architects and contributing his expertise to a variety of planning, arts, and civic organizations. Following the construction of 602 S. Harrison Ln., Gass went on to incorporate active and passive solar technology in his future designs and contributed heavily to the environmental design field.

Download the staff report for more details on 602 S. Harrison Ln.

Lean more about the landmark designation process at www.denvergov.org/landmark.

Original source can be found here.