Embassy Suites

Named as one of the ‘Top 25 US Hotels’ by Trip Advisor in 2013, the Embassy Suites hotel in downtown Denver, offers comfort, convenience and environmental care. Designed and constructed using green principles, the hotel architects, engineers and contractors on the project employed a range of green techniques and technologies designed to help the structure earn LEED certification.

Many might not realize that at least a few of the Embassy Suites green credits came from well below ground.

The 17-storey hotel is located at a busy, high traffic intersection requiring construction crews to incorporate special processes to minimize disturbances.

During construction, the owner called for contractors to use integral waterproofing technology instead of waterproofing membranes to seal the parking garage lower deck, which is below the water table – and still gain green advantages. Many times, owners and contractors will use waterproofing membranes for blindside waterproofing because they minimize or eliminate over excavation and reduce the building footprint, thus making the project eligible for Sustainable Sites-Site Development LEED credits. However, the installation of waterproofing membranes is complex and often costly.

Instead, the owner called for integral waterproofing technology. Bowman Construction Supply recommended the Xypex Admix crystalline waterproofing system, which provides equivalent or better benefit as waterproofing membranes, with none of the complexity and at less cost. Blended into fresh concrete, Xypex Admix seals the primary paths by which water and aggressive chemicals penetrate, attack, and ultimately threaten the long-term integrity of the concrete structure.

Ken Kinnard with Bowman Construction Supply says, “What sold the project, was ease of installation with the Xypex admixture. Since the product is added during the concrete mixing process, the contractor didn’t need another crew on-site to install a waterproofing membrane. They saved money, achieved a water-tight solution and gave the owner a sustainable alternative.”

Baker Concrete Construction used Xypex to waterproof the exterior of approximately 1,500 cu. yds. of below grade foundation walls and elevator pits.

The Embassy Suites hotel opened in December of 2010 and boasts a total of 403 rooms and 17 function rooms, totaling 21,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space, and a 13-storey glass curtain “Sky Lobby/Atrium” starting on the hotel’s fourth floor.

Specifications
Architect: Tucker Booker Donhoff + Partners
Contractor: WPM Construction
Applicator: Baker Concrete Construction
Complion Date: 2010