Building for Art: The Cookie Factory Re-Imagined

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT.

This program has been approved for 1 LU|HSW.

About the lecture: How could a condemned cookie factory become home to a carefully curated art collection?

The Denver Architecture Foundation invites you inside Denver’s newest cultural hub that was once the home of a fortune cookie factory. Created by Amanda Precourt in the Baker neighborhood, the Cookie Factory is now a site for contemporary art and cultural exchange. Learn how her creative concept was realized by the architects Matt Davis and Aaron Gray, in conversation with Allyson Mendenhall, FASLA, Chief Practice Resources Officer, Sasaki.

The behind-the-scenes discussion will explore how a derelict industrial building was reimagined as both a residence and an intimate space for site-specific exhibitions by international artists. Together, the speakers will reflect on the design process, the building’s past, and the vision that shaped its evolution into a new cultural platform. The conversation will also highlight Amanda’s broader commitment to art, community, and design in Denver. Through architecture, art, and philanthropy, the evening offers insight into how spaces can inspire reflection, connection, and cultural exchange.

About the building: Cookie Factory is housed in a revitalized 1940s fortune cookie factory in Denver’s historic Baker neighborhood, carrying forward the building’s spirit of making and sharing. The expansive first-floor gallery is open to the community and free to access, while the private residence constructed above was designed with founder Amanda Precourt’s expansive art collection as the guiding force. Precourt — a real estate developer, designer, and Cookie Factory’s visionary — partnered with Davis Urban Architects and Aaron Gray to transform the industrial building into an active cultural space and a home for an art-forward life.

About the Cookie Factory: Cookie Factory is a place for contemporary art and cultural exchange. Founded by Amanda J. Precourt in collaboration with artist Andrew Jensdotter and artistic director Jérôme Sans, Cookie Factory invites internationally renowned artists to create site-specific exhibitions shaped by Denver and Colorado’s landscapes, histories, and cultural fabric. Operating on an intimate, human scale, Cookie Factory cultivates personal, intuitive encounters with art and offers a space to gather, connect, reflect, and grow through exhibitions and programs. Through May 9, Cookie Factory is featuring Gary Simmons: Rush, an immersive reflection on the mythology of the American West that has transformed the space into a vast blackboard. Recently, the Cookie Factory was featured in both 5280, This Home Above Denver’s New Cookie Factory Is an Art-Lover’s Dream , and Cultured Mag, How a Condemned Cookie Factory in Denver Became Home to a Heavy-Hitting Art Collection (And Yes, You Can Visit).

About the Speakers: Matt Davis is the Principal of Davis Urban, a boutique design practice focused on modern architecture and thoughtful urban interventions. His work emphasizes clarity, restraint, and material sensitivity, delivering uniquely simple solutions to complex design challenges. Through projects that range from private residences to adaptive reuse and cultural spaces, Matt approaches architecture as a collaborative process shaped by context, craft, and community.

Aaron Gray is co-founder of Skout Projects, an integrated architecture and construction practice serving clients across the Intermountain West. His career began in the field — laying brick as a teenager and later running his own contracting company — grounding his work in a practical understanding of materials, sequencing, and cost.

After earning a degree in wildlife biology from the University of Vermont, he moved west, building in Montana, Haiti, and across Colorado before completing his Master of Architecture at the University of Colorado Denver. While at CU Denver, he participated in the Colorado Building Workshop, contributing to award-winning design-build projects that reinforced his belief that architecture is strongest when design and construction evolve together.

Aaron went on to lead projects at Davis Urban and Studio B Architects, including the Cookie Factory, where he further refined his commitment to modern design through material rigor, precise detailing, and close client collaboration.

Through Skout, he now leads the design and execution of complex residential projects, guiding clients through highly detailed work with an integrated approach that aligns design ambition, construction realities, and financial clarity.

Allyson Mendenhall is Chief Practice Resources Officer at Sasaki, where she bridges design and operations with a focus on improving processes. For Allyson, the practice is her project, reflecting her commitment to advancing methods and standards that support quality and innovation across design disciplines. Allyson holds a master of landscape architecture from Harvard Graduate School of Design and is a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). A former trustee of the national Landscape Architecture Foundation and the Denver Botanic Gardens, Allyson currently serves on the Denver Architecture Foundation Board and the ASLA Colorado Fellows Nominating Committee.

Amanda J. Precourt is a residential real estate developer, designer, and philanthropist based in Denver, Colorado, with projects that extend to the Front Range and beyond. She is a designer, art supporter and activist – committed to driving positive change through innovative endeavors, with a focus on elevating Colorado’s prominence as a hotspot for design, community development, and behavioral health.

Amanda is passionate about destigmatizing mental health issues. She actively supports cutting-edge research in behavioral health, while cultivating inclusive and safe communities using art and design. Through her work, Amanda sets a powerful and inspiring example of advocacy and compassion.

Amanda is an ardent art collector and a champion of the arts in Denver. As a board member of the Denver Art Museum, she holds positions on both the Executive Committee and as the Chair for the Collections Committee. Beyond her boardroom roles, Amanda has underwritten and facilitated the construction of the new Amanda J. Precourt Design and Architecture Galleries within the recently renovated Martin Building, showcasing the museum’s architecture and design collection.

Student Tickets: Student tickets must be purchased using an active student/school email address.

Agenda:

• 4:30PM – Doors open
• 5-6PM – Program begins, followed by Q+A
• 6-6:30PM – Mingling and exploring the space with light refreshments

Accessibility: First level interior of Cookie Factory is accessible. Please note, the outdoor terrace is a short step down but is viewable from interior with open garage doors.

Refund policy: The Denver Architecture Foundation is a nonprofit educational organization. Ticket sales support the Foundation in continuing to provide quality events to the public. We are unable to provide refunds or credits for any reason less than 48 hours prior to the event.

Please note that DAF tours take place rain, snow or shine. If your tour includes an outdoor portion, please dress for the weather. DAF staff will contact all attendees directly should a tour be cancelled for any reason.

Photo provided courtesy of Yoshihiro Makino.