Fransen Pittman General Contractors of Englewood recently completed the new $9.4-million Ronald McDonald House in Aurora, near Children’s Hospital and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

Serving as a home away from home, the three-story, 67,390-sq-ft house contains 45 fully furnished guest suites. The facility has play areas inside and outside, television and computer rooms and skylights throughout. Every level has a full kitchen and laundry room. Open-hearth fireplaces, warm color tones and natural finishes create a soothing atmosphere for guests.

As for the internal environment, the house has 80 condensing units in the heating and cooling system to enable independent temperature control in each family suite. The Fransen Pittman team installed more than 1.5 mi of refrigerant pipe, 43,000 lbs of sheet metal for ductwork and 7,500 ft of domestic water pipe for the HVAC system.

In analyzing building systems before construction, Fransen Pittman collaborated closely with BURKETTDESIGN Inc. to identify and incorporate value-engineering alternatives.

Continuum Partners LLC recently announced that it will install 8,300 solar panels on the roofs of the parking garages at its Belmar development in Lakewood.

The installation is expected to begin in August. The 1.7-mw array will generate approximately 2.3-million kw hours of clean electrical energy per year. The solar power output represents approximately 5% of Belmar’s total power consumption.

The project is being financed by MMA Renewable Ventures and designed and installed by SunPower Corp.

The solar panels will be installed on 125,000 sq ft of three parking garages in the mixed-use development, including on the top level of the Whole Foods Market garage. The Belmar project is in the Xcel Energy Solar Rewards Program, initiated as part of the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard compliance obligations. It represents the largest parking structure-mounted solar array in the country.

The Orchard Town Center, a 983,000-sq-ft development designed in classic Prairie Craftsman style, offers a pedestrian friendly, outdoor lifestyle village with shopping, dining and entertainment. AMC Orchard 12, Macy’s, JC Penney and SuperTarget anchor the center. Retailers opened their doors on April 3, with more retailers and stores opening throughout the spring and summer.

The town center features a sunken plaza, giant outdoor fireplace and a children’s play area.

The Boulder Valley School District and Eidos Architects of Greenwood Village recently broke ground on an addition to Crest View Elementary School in Boulder.

The project includes four new classrooms, a new cafeteria and kitchen area and an addition to the gymnasium, and a remodel of the kindergarten areas and the school's administrative offices.

Being built by Tower One Construction of Denver, the project is scheduled to be complete this fall. It is Eidos’ and Tower One’s first collaboration.

Eidos Architects has also recently completed a number of other education projects for the Sheridan, Brighton, Jefferson County, Denver Public and Aurora Public schools.