A major new lab and office building rising on the Colorado School of Mines campus in Golden, Colorado, is giving brickwork a starring role in a science-driven project.
The Energy and Minerals Research Facility is being built as a joint project between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Colorado School of Mines. The six-level, 192,000-square-foot building is budgeted at about $200 million, with USGS expected to occupy roughly three-quarters of the space. Groundbreaking took place in November 2023, and the target completion date is February 2027.
Architecturally, the design calls for two towers separated by a slot canyon-inspired atrium. That “slot canyon” concept is more than a visual. It helped drive a masonry pattern that echoes the exposed striations seen along Colorado’s Front Range, including cues from the Laramide orogeny. The design intent carries into elements like plaza paving, tying the building to the region’s geology.
For mason contractors, the most instructive detail is the sheer precision built into the brick facade and atrium walls. The project team describes a repeating pattern where every two courses of brick are corbelled in or out, color shifts every two courses, and the brick steps a half-inch in or out as it climbs. On top of that, coursing lines are expected to align with interior building lines, glass, and other architectural elements.
That kind of work raises the stakes on layout, sequencing, and constant coordination with adjacent trades. When the atrium effectively adds another exterior face to the building, it also doubles the number of transition points to manage, especially where masonry interfaces with glazing and other enclosure systems.
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