C+PK II
The C+PKII at Colorado School of Mines expands campus capacity with flexible classrooms, faculty offices, a 200-person active learning lecture hall, and a 900-space parking garage with 19 EV charging ports. Located directly west of the OZ-designed Beck Venture Center, the building features four large-scale classrooms with splitting overhead doors and 12,000 square feet of office space with views of North Table Mountain.
A perforated “second skin” enhances aesthetics and efficiency, shading the structure while unifying its design. Thoughtful site planning integrates plazas, water-quality gardens, and seamless connections to adjacent projects, ensuring a cohesive and forward-thinking addition to the campus.
OZ Architecture needed photography that captured the building’s dual-purpose design and its integration with the adjacent Beck Venture Center. The images would serve as documentation for competition entries and future project pursuits.
Challenges
The photography faced several timing and environmental obstacles. The first session occurred during summer when campus activity was minimal, while the second session in fall presented heavy student traffic throughout the site.
Overcast weather on both days produced flat lighting conditions. The primary exterior perspective required a one-point view that exceeded the coverage of even the widest available shift lens for medium format cameras.
Solutions
Photography was scheduled across two sessions to capture different seasons and activity levels. Longer exposures were used to show spaces in active use while maintaining student privacy.
Overcast skies were replaced using images from our atmospheric library. Extensive retouching removed street signs, temporary tree supports, excessive exit signage, electrical lines, and nearby construction to present clean, accurate scenes.
Compositing & Retouching Process
This project required extensive post-production to transform overcast conditions into dynamic campus scenes. Beyond standard retouching, skies were replaced and students composited from multiple exposures. Slide to compare RAW captures with the final composited images.
Street View with Beck Venture Center
This composition required extensive post-production to replace the sky, remove construction equipment, eliminate temporary landscaping supports, and composite students to show the building in active use.
East Garage Entry
The parking garage entry features real-time availability signage and direct pedestrian access to the educational spaces above. Overcast skies were replaced and students composited to bring life to the scene.
Outcome
The final images capture both the building’s innovative dual-purpose design and its seamless integration with the broader campus environment. The photography supports OZ Architecture’s competition entries and future project pursuits.
The comprehensive visual record demonstrates OZ Architecture’s ability to deliver complex mixed-use educational facilities that balance functional requirements with sophisticated design.
Project Info
- Location
- Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado
- Architect
- OZ Architecture
- Scale
- 54,700 sf
- Awards
- LEED Gold anticipated
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