Element Research Center
A Life Sciences Campus for Boulder’s Innovators
Element Research Center transforms industrial buildings into a nature-connected hub for Boulder’s life sciences community. Designed by RIOS in collaboration with Steelwave, the campus creates a collaborative research environment with connected indoor and outdoor spaces that reflect the city’s natural landscape. The design balances workplace functionality with Boulder’s adventurous spirit, creating opportunities for connection, movement, and discovery throughout the campus.
A central amenity building anchors the campus as a dynamic social hub. RIOS boldly incorporated climbing ropes into the atrium’s suspended lights. Cantilevered and freestanding rope canopies form a striking impression that celebrates Boulder’s vibrant rock-climbing culture.
Workplace Interior Design
Adorned with suspended atrium light fixtures and a dramatic fireplace flue spanning all three stories, the interior offers an immersive and inspiring experience for employees and visitors. Graphics across the lobby walls and richly finished furnishings establish a warm color palette inspired by Boulder’s stunning sunsets.
Graphics and murals tie buildings into a unified campus, where science, discovery and nature come together.
Inspired by Boulder’s prairie landscape, the exterior campus walls feature graphics and murals depicting a butterfly’s transformation into flower petals, creating a cohesive visual identity. Custom wayfinding and monument signage, crafted from weathered steel and unfinished metal, reflect the rugged beauty of the outdoors. These details complement native plantings across the site, echoing the textures and tones of Boulder’s ecology. An extension of the city’s character, the Element Research Center cultivates an environment where innovation and collaboration thrive.
