Goodwill turns to local design firm to create new Cherry Creek boutique and Stapleton store

Roth Sheppard Architects, the Denver-based award-winning AIA-Denver and AIA-Colorado '2010 Firm of the Year' and the Denver Business Journal '2011 Power Book' winner [architecture category] known for designing some of Colorado's most popular retail stores, restaurants and fast-casual eateries in the Western U.S., today announced that the firm has been selected by Goodwill Industries of Denver to oversee the company's two newest metro-Denver retail projects.

The first project, to be located in Denver's posh Cherry Creek Shopping District, is a new-format women's retail boutique called Déjà Blue. As Goodwill's first boutique in Colorado, Roth Sheppard's design will showcase the company's 'fashion-forward', name brand, high-end donated clothing, jewelry and accessories. Its location, the two-story brick building, at 3rd and University, was the former home of high-end clothier Homer Reed Ltd. which closed in late-2011.

Goodwill's mission-driven respect for the sustainable cycle of 'use and reuse' will be integrated into the design of Déjà Blue through the use of a number of creatively repurposed elements. Massive wooden electrical wire spools will be transformed into jewelry display areas; oak pallets used as fixture walls; and discarded fabrics turned into textural wall surfacing. A large, centrally-located mirror, antique wire-framed mannequins, inviting dressing rooms and a soft-seating area will add drama to the space designed to reflect the changing dynamic of recycling and the giving of new life to donated clothing. Déjà Blue is expected to open in the spring of 2012.

Goodwill's second project, a 31,000 square foot retail store will also be designed by Roth Sheppard Architects. This reuse/remodel of the former Linens-n-Things® store in Stapleton's Quebec Square will showcase donated goods from the community within a bright, warmly lit space reflecting many of the company's eco-friendly practices. Existing lighting fixtures and HVAC systems will be repurposed and a donation drop-off area will be added. The plan also incorporates a Career Connection Center for members of the community who need help starting or furthering their careers. This meets one of Goodwill's core objectives of using their resources and physical space to offer training and assistance to those who need it most. The store's is to open in the summer of 2012.

"Thanks to their stellar reputation and competitive bid—with sustainability at the forefront—Goodwill Industries of Denver has chosen Roth Sheppard Architects to design its two new stores opening this spring, including our one-of-a-kind boutique in Cherry Creek North," states Rob Tallmadge, Goodwill's director of real estate & special projects. "Roth Sheppard's green approach, coupled with their dedication to creativity and outside-the-box concepts, made them the obvious choice to tackle two of Goodwill's most significant projects of 2012."