Denver After Dark: The Dairy Block Tour

About the tour: Discover the story behind Denver’s Dairy Block, a vibrant destination in the heart of historic Lower Downtown. This guided walking tour hosted by the Denver Architecture Foundation and The IES Rocky Mountain Section, will explore how the Milk Market’s distinctive venues took shape, how the central north-south alley evolved into an iconic setting for festivals and fashion shows, and how the historic Windsor Dairy was seamlessly integrated with a modern mixed-use building through an ever-changing experiential art lighting installation in Blake’s Passage. Gain insights from the owner, architect, lighting designer, and a City and County of Denver planning representative as they share the journey from initial vision through unexpected challenges, unveiling the design details that make this district one of a kind.

About the tour guides:

Guadalupe Cantu, AIA, is a Principal at Davis Partnership Architects (DPA) and Lecturer at CU Boulder’s College of Environmental Design (ENVD).  Prior to joining DPA, Guadalupe spent nearly a decade with Studio Daniel Libeskind in both Berlin, New York and Denver, and took a few years venturing to the dark side with Tishman Construction in Las Vegas and AECOM in Abu Dhabi.  He earned his undergraduate degree at Arizona State University, and has practiced Architecture throughout the United States, Central Europe, Africa, and the United Arab Emirates, working in Cultural, Hospitality, Health Care, Education, Multi-family Housing and Sports Entertainment.  This is his third time presenting to the DAF, having previously presented the Fred Hamilton Wing of the Denver Art Museum and the Martin Residence at the Museum Residences.

Lisa Bartlett is an award-winning architectural lighting designer passionate about creating spaces that heighten experience and sense of place. She has worked as studio lead in both specialty lighting design and multi-disciplinary environments to guide lighting projects as diverse as luxury residences, large hospitals, corporate offices, and civic institutions to successful completion around the country. She currently leads the Colorado offices for AKLD Lighting Design, a Chicago-based boutique woman-owned lighting design firm.

Sarah Kaplan As a City Planning Supervisor’s within CPD’s Site, Design and Neighborhood Development workgroup, Sarah assists in managing the team that provides the centralized guidance and resource for commercial development projects throughout the City.  Since all commercial plan review requirements and permitting processes will vary according to the size and the location of the project site, coordinated support within CPD helps to ensure all project work is safe, sound and meets the community’s needs.

Tiffany Frederiksen has 14 years of commercial property management experience in the Denver Metro and Northern Colorado markets, spanning across multiple asset types including residential, office, retail, light industrial, farmland and commercial association management. Tiffany has been involved in the Dairy Block project since 2018 and welcomed the initial mix of tenants to the block. As a CPM® and Associate Real Estate Broker, she’s passionate about creating & maintaining exceptional places for people and businesses to thrive.

Accessibility Information: The tour will have access to elevators and ADA ramps as the tour moves between locations.

Please note, this tour is only available to DAF and IES members only.