The Gardner School Central Park

Building Bright Futures Through Early Education

Denver, CO

Nestled in Denver’s Central Park neighborhood, The Gardner School’s new location stands as a testament to thoughtful educational design. This 16,000 SF early education center combines functionality with child-friendly aesthetics to create an inspiring learning environment for the community’s youngest residents.

Crossland partnered with The Gardner School to bring their vision to life, completing the two-story facility in just over 12 months. The $6.87 million project features distinctive exterior elements including brick and stone finishes complemented by cement siding and decorative faux corbels along the roofline. Abundant exterior lighting illuminates the structure, while a custom playground with turf grass provides a safe outdoor space for active play.

Inside, the center welcomes children with age-appropriate wall colors and vibrant, custom hand-painted animals and trees adorning select walls. The interior design seamlessly blends practicality with whimsy, featuring painted drywall and luxury vinyl tile flooring throughout. A feature staircase with custom graphics serves as both functional architecture and an eye-catching design element.

When unexpected challenges arose – including theft of critical elevator components that threatened to delay completion – our team demonstrated exceptional problem-solving abilities. Working closely with the City of Denver and Denver Fire Department, we resequenced construction activities to ensure the project remained on schedule despite these setbacks while increasing security as well.

This marked our third successful collaboration with The Gardner School in the Denver area, strengthening a relationship built on trust and quality craftsmanship. Beyond construction, our team provided additional support with furniture and decoration installations – exemplifying our commitment to delivering complete solutions that exceed client expectations.

Project Facts

Industry Sector: Educational
Cost: $6,642,108
Size: 8,895 SF
Delivery Method: Design-Bid-Build / Hard Bid
Self-Perform: Rough Carpentry
Owner: The Gardner School
Architect: NORR