Mayor Johnston Announces 2025 Mayor’s Design Awards Winners

Published on April 09, 2025

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DENVER – With more than 200 in attendance, Mayor Mike Johnston honored the best in architecture and design during the 2025 Mayor’s Design Awards ceremony tonight at the Studio Loft of the Denver Performing Arts Complex. 

The mayor presented awards to 12 winners in nine categories and recognized 9 honorable mentions, selected from 27 official nominees. The evening concluded with the presentation of the first-ever People’s Choice Award, which was voted on by the public.

Learn more about this year's nominated projects

(Note: Images and project descriptions available at the link above)

Full list of 2025 Mayor’s Design Awards nominees, honorable mentions and winners

Category: Adaptive Reuse

Projects that repurpose, modernize or refresh existing structures into new uses.

  • The Amp, 1580 Logan Street – Honorable Mention
  • BurnDown, 476 S. Broadway – Honorable Mention
  • York Street Yards, 3821-3893 Steele Street – Winner

Category: Affordability – Existing Buildings

Renovations and adaptations of existing buildings for the purpose of income-restricted housing.

  • Mosaic Community Campus, 7150 Montview Boulevard – Winner
  • Pancratia Hall Lofts, 3144 W. Frances Walsh Place – Winner

Category: Affordability – New Construction

New buildings constructed for the purpose of income-restricted housing.

  • The Burrell, 3575 Chestnut Place
  • Nest56 @Denargo Market, 2700 Wewatta Way – Winner
  • Thrive, 2660 W. Holden Place – Honorable Mention

Category: Community and Culture

Projects that promote uses that foster community building and Denver’s cultural vibrancy.

  • “A House of Prayer for All People” Project at Montview Church, 1980 Dahlia Street – Honorable Mention
  • Buell Public Media Center, 2101 Arapahoe Street – Honorable Mention
  • City Heights Residence Hall, 1191 Larimer Street – Winner
  • Tears-McFarlane House and Secret Garden Bar & Café, 1290 N. Williams Street – Winner
  • Urban Peak Mothership, 1630 S. Acoma Street – Honorable Mention

Category: Economic Development – Large Scale

Market-rate development for residential, commercial or a mix of uses at a large scale. 

  • The Ayden, 4228 Kalamath Street – Winner
  • One Seven at Belleview Station, 4882 S. Newport Street
  • Paradigm River North, 3400 Walnut Street – Honorable Mention

Category: Economic Development – Small Scale

Market-rate development for residential, commercial or a mix of uses at a small scale. 

  • Bruce Randolph Avenue Residences, 3631 Bruce Randolph Avenue - Winner
  • Tejon Micros, 3282 N. Tejon Street – Honorable Mention


Category: Innovation

Projects that push the envelope on sustainability, wellness and/or overall design quality.

  • 200 Clayton Office/Mixed-use, 200 Clayton Street
  • Lakehouse, 4200 W. 17th Avenue – Honorable Mention
  • Populus, 240 14th Street - Winner

Category: Open Space, Street Activation and Placemaking

Projects that improve public and shared spaces.

  • 9+CO, 9th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard – Winner 
  • Brighton Boulevard Redevelopment, Brighton Boulevard from 29th Avenue to 44th Avenue – Winner
  • Parkway Cow, 4700 E. 6th Avenue Parkway – Honorable Mention

Category: Preservation

Projects that focus on preserving, renovating and adaptively reusing structures with historic, architectural and/or cultural significance. 

  • BOSS.architecture, 3300 E. 17th Avenue
  • Centennial House at Ninth Street Historic Park, 1050 9th Street – Honorable Mention
  • The Sudler, 1576 N. Sherman Street – Winner

Since 2005, the Mayor’s Design Awards have honored projects throughout the city for excellence in architecture, urban design and placemaking. The awards are presented to Denver homeowners, business owners, nonprofits, artists and others for their creative contributions to the public realm. Winners can range from community placemaking projects to adaptive reuse of historic structures to single-family residences to major mixed-use downtown buildings. Each brings something special to Denver’s unique visual fabric and speaks to our collective commitment to building healthy, sustainable communities.  

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BUILDING COMMUNITY: Denver Community Planning and Development (CPD) is responsible for visionary city planning and ensuring safe, responsible, sustainable building. CPD regulates planning, zoning, development and maintenance of private property in Denver. We're working hard to make Denver a great place to live, work and play! Visit DenverGov.org/CPD.