Denver’s Populus Hotel, which opened in October 2024, lies directly in the heart of the city in Civic Center Park just across the street from the iconic capital building. Named after the latin binomial Populus tremuloides or “quaking aspen” the building stands tall as the first carbon-positive hotel in the United States – but does it truly live up to the achievement?
Project Snapshot: Who, What, Where
Spanning 13 stories and 265 guest rooms, this nature-inspired hotel includes two restaurants – Pasque and Stellar Jay – and a cafe, Little Owl Coffee. In addition to a second floor dedicated to office conference rooms and board rooms, it houses a lively rooftop that can be rented out for private celebrations of all kinds.
Team + Timeline
The building was created by developers Urban Villages, designed by the award-winning architecture firm Studio Gang, and was led by its founding partner Jeanne Gang, a MacArthur Fellow. The project broke ground in April 2022 and was Studio Gang’s first within Denver. After almost two and a half years, the hotel opened its doors to the public in October 2024 and is currently being run and operated by Aparium Hotel Group.
Design Concept
Project lead Jeanne Gang went for a hike with the hotel’s founder when first visiting Denver, and took her inspiration from the abundant and iconic aspen trees. As the most wide-spread tree in North America, their distinct white trunks and vibrant yellow leaves transform the autumn Colorado landscape. These trees informed the architecture and unique window design, drawing from the notable ‘eyes’ of an aspen tree. “The idea is to surround people with biophilia,” says Gang to Architectural Digest, “and get them in the mood of being in nature.”
Architecture Meets Ecology
This building’s carbon positive promise began during construction, and continues to work to redefine what it means to bring nature into an urban context
Biophilic Massing + Envelope
Concrete and facade systems are among the largest contributors to embodied carbon in a building. According to The New York Times, the concrete mix that was used is said to emit 30% less carbon dioxide than regular concrete. The exterior of the building consists of Glass-Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC) rainscreen facade panels that allow for insulation, shading, and durability. The windows were designed with “eyelid” overhangs. This design not only further plays into the aspen tree “eye” inspiration, but also serves to lower solar heat gain, shade the interior, and improve the buildings overall energy performance.
With no on-site parking structure, the hotel uses existing lots in the area for valet parking, thus minimizing further construction – a benefit for both the company and the environment. Additionally, Populus encourages its guests to take advantage of public transportation and walking to further this cause.
Interior Design: Materials, Mood, and Place
With an ecological promise so extraordinary, every single item in the hotel – big or small – must be considered for its environmental impact, bringing an interesting challenge to its interior design.
Salvage + Low-Impact Materials
The designers heavily relied on repurposed elements such as wood from a felled cottonwood tree for the reception desk, beetle-kill pine for some walls and bed headboards, and snow fencing from Wyoming as decorative ceiling beams. The construction of the guest rooms relied on durable textiles with carpeting made from recycled, biodegradable materials.
The dining and event space rooftop is not only designed for alluring hosting, but is home to a vibrant array of native Colorado plants specifically designed to support pollinators and local biodiversity.
Food, Waste, and Circularity
Every dining experience at Populus reflects the same sustainability efforts. The hotel’s restaurants – Pasque and Stellar Jay – emphasize local sourcing, seasonal ingredients, and minimal waste. Food scraps are processed in an on-site bio-digester that composts 100% of food waste which is then distributed to local Colorado farms. This system illustrates how sustainability can be embedded into hospitality operations at every scale, creating a regenerative system rather than a consumptive one.
Waste + Water
Populus has embedded water refill stations throughout the building and maintains a close partnership with MiiR, a premium drinkware company, to provide reusable water bottles in every guest room. Additionally, in employing RK Mechanical for all plumbing, domestic water, and sanitary waste systems, they ensured these systems integrated seamlessly with the building’s high-performance design in reducing energy and waste consumption.
By prioritizing sustainability in every aspect of the hotel’s design, the team has created a significant foundation for its environmental promise. Together, these choices create a meaningful and lasting impact on our planet, yet even combined is it enough to live up to its carbon-positive claims?
The Carbon-Positive Claim: Wins and Watch-Outs
The Populus is widely known as the first carbon-positive hotel in the United States – meaning it sequesters more carbon-dioxide than it emits during its conception and operation. This bold claim goes beyond the typical net-zero carbon footprint that is typically promised. Linking its carbon positive dashboard on its website that tracks the building’s greenhouse gas emissions, the hotel publicly displays its monthly natural gas and electricity use, as well as its water consumption and waste production.
Nature-Based Offsets + Reforestation
Along with achieving its LEED Gold certification status, Populus has acquired 7,000 metric tons of certified carbon credits to offset embodied carbon through their many partnerships with companies such as Lotus Sustainability, BioGreen, Superbloom, and The Nature Conservancy. These credits are typically earned through efforts such as reforestation, soil carbon sequestration, renewable energy projects, and methane capture. One carbon credit equates to one metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent. These credits must be independently verified by an accredited body and meet international standards for measuring and tracking carbon benefits.
Populus has partnered with the National Forest Foundation with its program “One Night One Tree.” This program promises for every night you stay the hotel will plant one tree to aid with ecosystem regeneration in Colorado forests. During their stays, guests are also able to purchase trees to be planted to support these environmental efforts. This program reported planting 22,000 trees in 2024, and aims to plant 55,000 trees in 2025.
But what true effects do these environmental offsets provide, and how reliably do they deliver on the long-term climate benefits they promise?
Scrutiny + Best Practice
Many climate change experts have been vocal about the lack of efficacy of carbon “offsets.” When it comes to planting new trees, it can take years before seedlings grow into trees mature enough to fully absorb carbon in a way that is truly offsetting. Additionally, these trees can be at risk to infestation, weather, and wildfire.
These are the exact vulnerabilities the Populus’ efforts have encountered. At the start of its construction in 2022, their “One Night One Tree” program promised to plant 77,000 Engelmann spruce trees in Colorado to combat the trees destroyed by mountain pine beetles. Eighty percent of these saplings were killed by the season’s extreme weather. Despite the Populus team refusing to be dissuaded from this loss, this outcome cannot be ignored when considering the true impact of these types of environmental offsets.
While nature-based solutions like reforestation are admirable in their intent, questions remain about survival, permanence, and their true long-lasting impact. Certified credits help bridge the gap between ambition and impact, yet they can also obscure the ongoing carbon footprint of both construction and operations if not paired with rigorous accountability. As Populus continues to boast its carbon-positive identity, these programs deserve careful monitoring – not only to validate their climate claims but to ensure that sustainability is more than a marketing tactic.
Building the Future
The Populus Hotel isn’t just another hotel – it’s an experiment in ecological living. It challenges assumptions about what hospitality can be, blending architecture, ecology, and ethics into a cohesive vision. Whether you’re a guest, a designer, or a student, Populus offers an invaluable lesson: sustainability is not a finish line, it’s an ongoing dialogue between people, place, and planet.
Interested in Sustainable Design?
Sustainable design is a priority at Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design (RMCAD), where we are proud to push boundaries with our CIDA-accredited interior design degree program. Offering opportunities for online and in-person instruction, we aim to inspire while exploring the principles and applications of sustainable design. Request more information so you can pursue your passion for interior design.
