Publications and Awards
2022 Ancient Aqueducts Offer Lessons for Future, Book Chapter by Vakil on Qanat Systems, See KU News from
2022 Design Engagement, Learning to See: Inclusivity in Sensory Experiences in Learning Environments, ACSA 110, See Publication
2022 Housing Design Studio: The Case for Social Entrepreneurship, Pennsylvania Housing Research Center (PHRC), See Publication
2022 Smart City Affordable Housing: Reimagining the Way We Live, Pennsylvania Housing Research Center (PHRC), See Publication
2020 Winners of AIA Kansas Award for Sydney Alternative Housing Challenge
2019 Winners of the Sydney Alternative Housing Challenge, Sydney Australia
2019 ASCA 2019 - Design Studio: The Case for Social Entrepreneurship
2018 Crowdsourcing+Shared Architecture, The Plan Journal. See Publication
2018 Nilou Vakil named top 25 Most Admired Architecture Educator in the U.S. See Article
2017 Board of Regents Approves new program in Interior Architecture and Design. See Article
2016 Hybrid Modes of Architectural Production in the United Arab Emirates, International Journal of Islamic Architecture. See Publication
2016 Critical Practice: Alternative Modes of Empowerment, Dialectic IV: Architecture at Service?, The Journal of the School of Architecture, University of Utah. See Publication
2016 Recognition for teaching: student group named to Final Four, Innovation in Affordable Housing Design Competition, US Department of Housing and Urban Development. See Publication
2016 Shepherd, S., “KU Today: Medical technology meets senior housing in New Cities project,” The Lawrence Journal-World, August 23. See Publication
2015 Grand Prize Winner, Built Project Category, Congress for the New Urbanism, CNU/Colorado Charter Award for High Mar Senior Housing Project, Boulder, Colorado. See Publication
2015 Best Affordable Senior Housing Project, Senior Housing News, High Mar Senior Housing. See Publication
2015 Recognition for teaching: student group named to Final Four, Innovation in Affordable Housing Design Competition, US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
2014 Urban Urge Award Finalist. See Publication
2014 Colistra, J., and N. Vakil. "Engaging transparency to empower community." In 2014 Challenging Glass Conference Proceedings, European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) and Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) sponsors. See Publication
2014 Colistra, J. "New Modes of Community Empowerment." In Housing Education and Research Conference Proceedings.
2014 Colistra, J. "Hybrid Models of Sustainability." Urban Hybridization - Prospettive Ibride sul Progetto Contemporaneo,
(Milan, Italy: Politecnico di Milano) no. 3. See Publication
2014 Rebchook, J. "Boulder apartments celebrated" Inside Real Estate News. Boulder, CO.
2014 Social Economic Environmental Design (SEED) – Phase 1 Certification, SEED Network, The Fourth Quarter Housing Project.
2013 Colistra, J. and Vakil, N., "Learning from Environmental Energies and Building Form in the Gulf Region." In ACSA Fall Conference Proceedings, Subtropical Cities 2013: Design Interventions for Changing Climates.
2013 Chandler, M. "Guide to Denver Architecture with Regional Highlights", Ed. 2. Golden, CO: Fulcrum Publishing. (2013)
Two architectural projects cited. See Publication
2013 Burness, A., “Boulder Housing Partners to open city’s first new affordable senior complex in 30 years,” The Boulder Daily Camera, February 13.
2013 Big XII Fellowship, University of Kansas
Funds used for travel and assessment of tornado damage in Oklahoma. Investigation of opportunities for collaboration with University of Oklahoma, Architecture for Humanity, and City of Moore, OK
2013 Public Interest Design Award, United States Green Building Council Colorado Chapter
2013 "SWA Group, City of Houston Disaster Recovery Planning Study" National Best Practices.
Two architectural projects cited.
2013 Davies, B. "Mary Voelz Chandler on Denver's demolition history and her updated architectural guide" The Westword. Denver, CO.
One architectural project cited.
2013 Rinaldi, R. "What Denver built, then and now" The Denver Post. Denver, CO.
One architectural project cited
2011 "Featured Project (Wash Park Eco-Homes)" Slow Home Awards.
Award Winners
http://blip.tv/slow-home-studio/the-denver-slow-home-award-winners-day-115-the-slow-home-project-3638419
2010 C. Ferguson (Ed.) Colorado Urbanizing: Life, Sustainability, Place and Community Growth in the West The Congress of New Urbanism. Fulcrum Publishing.
Two architectural projects cited.
2010 Best Single Family House Design, Slow Home Award, Wash Park Green
2009 Mayor’s Design Award, 2942 Welton Street Redevelopment
2009 Miraval, F., “Familias artificiles’ beneficiarian a huerfanos hispanos de Mexico,” Viva Colorado, Arno 2 No. 154, September 24.
2009 Sallinger, R. interview, “Denver Art Museum Roof,” Channel 4 News, December 22.
2009 Castor, J. interview, “UC Denver Students Design Mexican Orphanage,” 7 News, December 9.
2009 Pantiel, M., “High Style Meets Energy Efficiency in Denver Duplex,” EcoHome Magazine, Summer.
2009 Toto, C., “Denver’s Revitalized East Village includes renewed sense of community,” The Denver Post, June 7.
2009 Pantiel, M., “Greened to Perfection,” Colorado Expression Magazine, June/July.
2009 Regional News, Journal of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, Volume 38, Number 8, April.
2009 “Design and Honor Awards,” Architect Colorado, Colorado Chapter of the American Institute of Architects/McGraw Hill Construction, Winter.
2009 Samuelson, M., “Edgy Brownstones Will Take Your Breath Away,” The Denver Post, January 18.
2008 Honor Award, Colorado Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, Merchants Row
2008 Colorado Chapter of the American Institute of Architects Young Architect of the Year (Joe Colistra)
2008 Colorado Chapter of the American Institute of Architects Young Firm of the Year (Citation)
2008 L. Marshall, “Outlook: Bright,” The Rocky Mountain News, December 27.
2008 Nitkin, K., “AIA Colorado Young Architect of the Year: Joe Colistra Empowers People through Architecture,” Architect Colorado, Fall.
2008 Annual Industry Awards Issue, Colorado Construction, December.
2008 Seeber, R., “4th Quarter Project,” Neighborhood Life, Volume 9, Number Three, December.
2008 Davis, G., “Broken hearts still full of love: Tarlton Intermediate School Master Plan,” The Denver Daily News, December 3.
2008 Transit Oriented Development Awards (Fulton Street Transformational Housing), Colorado Construction, November.
2008 MacMillan, K., “The Best of Colordo’s Architecture,” The Denver Post, October 12.
2008 Raterman, E., “Architecture students create change in S. Africa,” University of Colorado Advocate, September 17.
2008 “Awards Showcase,” Architecture & Design of the West, Fall.
2008 “2008 Young Architects Awards,” Architect Colorado, Colorado Chapter of the American Institute of Architects/McGraw Hill Construction, Summer.
2008 Barnes-Gelt, S., “A Look at Denver Buildings,” The Denver Post, April 17.
2007 Colistra, J., “Community Sustained,” Terrain: A Journal of the Built & Natural Environments, Issue No. 20, Summer/Fall.
2007 MacMillan, K., “Hiding in Plain Sight,” The Denver Post, May 6.
2006 Mayor’s Design Award, Merchants Row
2006 Merit Award, Denver Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, Merchants Row
2006 Top Architecture/Design Firm, 1st Finalist, The Denver Business Journal
2006 Wirth Chair Award for Sustainable Communities, The Graduate School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado at Denver
2006 Rebchook, J., “Eye-catching Creativity,” The Rocky Mountain News, November 15.
2006 Saywell, J., ed., “Design in Focus,” Hinge Magazine, Hong Kong, Vol. 136, November.
2006 Bordenaro, M., “Modern Floor Planning: A Contemporary Revival,” Insight, A Dialogue of Trends, Technologies, and Ideas, Issue 13, October.
2006 O’Hara, C., “Structural Glazing Systems,” Builder News Magazine, September.
2006 “Community Empowerment,” Architect Colorado, Colorado Chapter of the American Institute of Architects/McGraw Hill Construction, Fall.
2006 Jefferson, E., “Row houses? In Denver?”, The Denver Post, August 17.
2006 Featured Project (Merchants Row Brownstones), Archidose: A Weekly Dose of Architecture, www.archidose.com, June 5-11.
2006 “Top Architecture/Design Firm,” 1st Runner Up, The Denver Business Journal, May 19.
2006 Lineham, J., “Exposed Structural Detailing: How Structure Becomes the Architecture,” Builder News Magazine, May.
2006 Bolton, A., Feature Story, “If you want something done the right way, do it yourself.” Channel 9 News, March 29.
2006 Lind, K., “Curtis Park Offerings: Merchants Row,” The Denver Post, February 26.
2006 Jackson, M., “Real estate briefs: Historic Renovations,” The Denver Post, January 29.
2006 Hild, H., “Back to the Renaissance: The Evolution of Design,” Architect Colorado, Colorado Chapter of the AIA /McGraw Hill Construction
2005 Colistra, J., “Denver’s Do-it-Yourself Developers,” The Next American City, Vol. 9, Fall/Winter.
2005 “James S. Sudler Award for Contribution to the Denver Chapter,” (Box City), Architect Colorado, Colorado Chapter of the AIA /McGraw Hill Construction
2005 Featured Project (Merchants Row Brownstones), Denver Infill, www.denverinfill.com/neighborhood_pages/curtis_park_five_points.htm
2005 “Projects valued at $142 million under way at Lowry,” The Colorado Real Estate Journal, November 15.
2005 Potter, B., “An investment, from the ground up: Building a sense of Community,” The Denver Post, September 11.
2005 Clark, N., “Merchants Row Brownstones top off,” Denver Daily News, October 14.
2005 Nilou Vakil, Design Award, American Institute of Architecture Best Architectural Project of the Year. AIA Colorado Young Architects Awards
2005 Joe Colistra, Teaching Award, University of Colorado at Denver, American Institute of Architects Instructor of the Year
2005 Mayor’s Design Award, Box City Event for Children (with American Institute of Architects Urban Design Committee)
2005 Outstanding Service Award, Denver Chapter of the American Institute of Architects
2005 James S. Sudler Award for Contribution to the Denver Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, Box City (with Urban Design Committee)
2004 Governor’s Award for Best Design, Champa Terrace
2004 Colorado Chapter of the American Institute of Architects President’s Award for Contribution to the Chapter (Urban Design Committee)
2004 Denver Chapter of the American Institute of Architects President’s Award of Special Recognition (Box City)
2004 Special Achievement in Design, Featured Project (Champa Terrace), Colorado Community Revitalization Association
2004 Schlosser, E., Featured Project (Merchants Row), Colorado Preservation Newsletter, Summer.
2004 “Downtown Projects Honored with Governor’s Awards,” Colorado Construction, McGraw Hill, November 1.
2004 “Jack be NIMBY, Jack be quick,” Denver Westword, September 23.
2004 Drayer, D. interview, “Curtis Park Neighbors Rally,” Colorado Matters Radio Program, Colorado Public Radio, February 11.
2004 Samuelson, M., “Keeping the Lid on Curtis Park,” The Denver Post, January 18.
2004 Baca, R., “On the Rocks: Skylark Lounge,” The Denver Post, January 2.
2002 Areliano, K., “Fighting Housing with Housing,” Chicago Tribune, October 20.
2002 Rebchook, J., “Neighbors Build,” The Rocky Mountain News, February 26.