Cooper Carry, the Atlanta-based architecture and planning firm that planted its Colorado flag in Boulder after acquiring 505Design in 2023, is packing up that office and heading for downtown Denver. The company has signed a lease at 1900 Lawrence and is planning a substantial interior buildout, a move leaders say will put staff closer to clients, consultants, and a deeper local talent pool.
According to BusinessDen, Cooper Carry has committed to roughly 5,800 square feet on the tower’s 18th floor and filed permits that show about $910,000 in tenant improvement work. CEO Kyle Reis told the outlet the studio is being designed to accommodate about 45 employees, even though roughly 25 staffers will move in at the start. The deal was brokered by Phil Ruschmeyer of Ruschmeyer Corp., BusinessDen reported.
What Cooper Carry Signed For
Permit filings point to a fairly intensive buildout for the size of the lease, which suggests Cooper Carry is aiming for a full-fledged design studio rather than a sparse outpost with a few hot desks. Reis has framed the Denver location as a combined recruitment and client access play, a place where the firm can host consultants and public sector partners while raising its visibility in the metro area.
About 1900 Lawrence And The LoDo Pull
1900 Lawrence is a newly completed 30-story Class A office tower that wrapped construction in 2024 and comes loaded with amenities, including fitness and locker rooms, indoor and outdoor lounges, and rooftop spaces that are all meant to lure professional services users, according to Riverside Investment & Development. The developers and leasing team are positioning the building as a wellness-focused workplace with large floorplates pitched to both creative and legal tenants.
From Boulder Roots To A Denver Foothold
Cooper Carry stepped into the Colorado market by acquiring Boulder-based 505Design in 2023, per a Cooper Carry announcement, and the Denver lease formalizes a shift of those local operations into the region’s urban core. The move tracks with other design outfits that have carved out downtown space, including LandDesign’s Denver arrival last year, and adds to a slow shuffle within the area’s architecture scene, according to listings from the Denver Architecture Foundation.
What The Move Means For The Market
Smaller and midsize professional services tenants taking slices of newer downtown towers remain a key slice of leasing activity that owners say helps support demand in a market still recalibrating after a prolonged office slowdown. The tower has already landed marquee tenants on upper floors and is still being marketed to law, finance, and creative firms, per coverage of 1900 Lawrence by the Denver Business Journal.
BusinessDen reports that Cooper Carry intends for the Denver location to support regional work and hiring, although a firm move-in date has not been disclosed. The lease adds one more data point to the idea that LoDo’s amenity-packed towers are increasingly viewed by design and professional firms as a convenient home base for both talent and clients.
