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TERRA VIDA HYDRO
 

Inspiring tomorrow’s dreamers through approachable and

innovative learning experiences

Rooted in research, innovation and community, Colorado State University (CSU) Spur inspires the next generation of learners through interactive, real-life agriculture, water and veterinary education. The Denver-based campus includes three unique, forward-thinking buildings – Vida, Terra and Hydro – all of which explore CSU-led science, careers and sustainability efforts in their Colorado community and beyond. 

 

 

Aiming to create an engaging experience and simplify highly complex topics for primarily elementary-aged visitors, DI was brought on to help create physical and digital exhibits, educational content and memorable moments throughout the three buildings. While Terra, Vida and Hydro differ in content, storytelling and outcomes, our team worked to create a cohesive, CSU-branded experience across all three facilities. 

DI collaborated alongside partners JE Dunn, CAA Icon and Tribe Development on what has become an international platform for CSU to inspire young minds, promote real-time research, and break down barriers to address global challenges. Content in all three buildings is available in English and Spanish for greater accessibility.

18,000+

Number of visitors the CSU Spur campus hosted in its first year of operation

 

 

TERRA

Latin for “Earth,” the Terra building was built by architect Anderson Mason Dale and focuses on food and agriculture. Marking the space’s entry is a towering sunflower stalk sculpture – an artistic element DI created as an ode to the Colorado-native wildflower. Visitors can explore everything farm-to-table, including how our food is grown, developed, tested, branded, distributed, and more.

Our team worked alongside the CSU Spur team to provide a lively and unique experience for all visitors while ensuring sophisticated topics (like the agricultural challenges we face as the global population grows) are illustrated in simple yet captivating ways.

One of the space’s most impressive features is the fourth-floor exhibit, where agriculture truly comes to life. Floor-to-ceiling windows, garden terraces and an active greenhouse offer stunning views and an up-close look and explanation of plant and food production in real-time.

 

 

VIDA

Spanish for “life,” the Vida building was constructed by architect Clark Enersen and speaks to animal and human health. Esperanza, a 9-foot-tall sculpted and hard-coated foam cat, greets visitors with a friendly meow upon entry (but don’t sneak up behind her, or she might hiss with surprise!). From static and textured content panels to touchscreen digital interactives, DI collaborated with the CSU Spur team to produce a variety of informative and digestible interactives for all students.

In addition to exhibit exploration, visitors can observe live surgeries on cats and dogs, hear commentary directly from veterinarians, watch equestrian strength training and therapy, and even practice their veterinary skills in a mock clinic for kids. Drawing the connection between human and animal life, Vida invites young learners to better understand our four-legged friends and the similarities we share.

 

 

HYDRO

Greek for, you guessed it, “water,” the Hydro building is the latest addition to the CSU Spur campus and flows through all things H20. Our footprint was consistent throughout the space, creating various physical and digital educational content, including a dimensional map and audio interactive featuring the South Platte River.

Brought to life by architect Hord Coplan Macht, Hydro taps into the technology, research, quality testing, career paths, and geological impact of water – i.e., how it flows and shapes the land we live on –  illustrating the intrinsic value and often surprising role water has in our day-to-day lives. 

 

 

CSU Spur is open and accessible to the public, serving as an international front door to university research, innovation and sustainability initiatives. Through cohesive experience design, content creation and display, and various physical and digital exhibits, DI helped CSU create a forward-thinking and approachable community space tailored to engage and excite all young visitors.


Learn more about community spaces, content research and development, and interactive kid zones

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Whether you have a fully-baked idea or are just exploring the possible, our proven-effective approach makes it easy to help you determine where to start and how DI can help. We'd love to learn more!

 

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Drew Berst

Drew Berst

Executive Director

Drew Berst is an Executive Director and oversees the Collegiate Sports and Higher Education practices at Dimensional Innovations. Berst lives and breathes the college experience and is the single point of accountability for all... more about Drew Berst Drew Berst Drew Berst Executive Director

Drew Berst is an Executive Director and oversees the Collegiate Sports and Higher Education practices at Dimensional Innovations.

Berst lives and breathes the college experience and is the single point of accountability for all collegiate clients. Professionally, Berst has been working in the sports facility industry for over twelve years and has been involved in over $2 billion worth of athletic facility projects. Leading the team to over 400% revenue growth and tripling the company’s market share since 2015, he attributes DI’s unique, design-build approach to project delivery, master brand planning partnerships, facility graphics, branding and interactive technology experiences to his success.

Born and raised in Kansas City and earning his bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas, as well as an MBA from the University of North Carolina – Wilmington, Berst is steadfast in his belief that there is no such thing as a family vacation, unless a sporting event is involved.

Most importantly, Drew is a husband to Betsy and a parent to three girls – Edie, Nora and Margot.

Rick Smith

Rick Smith

VP/ECD Experiential Design

A truly versatile designer, manager and creative leader, Rick Smith brings more than 20 years experience to DI. Rick inspires excellence in DI’s creative team, crafting fully integrated designs and rich experiences with end users in... more about Rick Smith Rick Smith Rick Smith VP/ECD Experiential Design

A truly versatile designer, manager and creative leader, Rick Smith brings more than 20 years experience to DI. Rick inspires excellence in DI’s creative team, crafting fully integrated designs and rich experiences with end users in mind. He manages creative direction and team efforts, streamlining design processes for all of DI’s projects.
Rick’s strength lies in his ability to connect brands and their customers to the physical environment. His collaborative and comprehensive approach details the project vision through words, ideas and images.

Not only a leader at DI, Rick is heavily involved in the Kansas City design community. A member of the Society for Environmental Graphic Design (SEGD) and AIGA, Rick chairs the local SEGD chapter, is on the AIGAKC Board of Directors and on the Kansas City Design Week Planning committee.

Married for over 10 years, Rick and his wife have two children. An outdoors-kind-of-guy, Rick enjoys climbing, camping, mountaineering, and just generally being outside. He also plays guitar and coaches his daughter’s softball team in his not-so-abundant spare time.

 
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Every big opportunity starts with a small step forward. We're here to help you! Let’s jump on the phone, say hello and discuss your need, idea or project in a quick 15-minute FIT call. Prefer email? That's cool, too! Drop us a line - we're always happy to connect.

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