
A view from the “canyon” of One River North. (Courtesy One River North)
Alongside the 38th and Blake commuter rail station stands a development project unlike others.
The apartment building going at 3930 Blake St., dubbed One River North, is most notable for its now-visible “canyon” on the building’s northwest facade. Residents of the building will be able to move through portions of the gash, which also cuts through some units’ balconies.
The project broke ground in August 2021 and is being developed by The Max Collaborative, Uplands Real Estate Partners, Wynne Yasmer Real Estate and Zakhem Real Estate Group.
“You can walk by and see it now, sure, but standing in the unit and looking across that balcony and being in that canyon is really an incredibly dramatic sensation,” said Kevin Ratner, co-founder of The Max Collaborative.
The 16-story, 187-unit apartment building likely will be finished by year-end. Ratner said soil, greenery and planters will be installed in the “canyon” this summer. All plants will be native to Colorado and drought-resistant, so they won’t need replacing every year.
“The building in many ways speaks for itself,” Ratner said. “I’ve never seen anything like that before.”
Ratner said the canyon was designed by the lead architect and founder of MAD Architects, Ma Yansong.
“The way he (Yansong) thinks about architecture is really very much in relation to nature,” Ratner said. “When he went to Colorado and Denver he got very inspired by the flat canyons, high desert and the mountains and wanted to bring that into the building.”

The building is expected to be completed later this year. (Maia Luem/BusinessDen)

A view of the “canyon” within One River North. (Courtesy One River North)

The gash, which will soon be filled with greenery, is on the building’s northwest facade. (Maia Luem/BusinessDen)

Looking up in the “canyon” of One River North. (Courtesy One River North)

A rendering of One River North. (BusinessDen file)
Address: 3930 Blake St.
Developer: The Max Collaborative, Uplands Real Estate Partners, Wynne Yasmer Real Estate and Zakhem Real Estate Group
Architects: Shanghai-based MAD Architects and Denver-based Davis Partnership Architects
The lot: R Cap Blake Street purchased the 0.64 acre lot for $7.19 million in 2019
Specs: The project includes roughly 9,000 square feet of retail space. There will be 180 parking spaces in a subterranean garage. Amenities include a spa, 7,000 square-feet rooftop terrace with a pool and 13,000 square feet of open space in the canyon.
Expected completion: End of 2023

A view from the “canyon” of One River North. (Courtesy One River North)
Alongside the 38th and Blake commuter rail station stands a development project unlike others.
The apartment building going at 3930 Blake St., dubbed One River North, is most notable for its now-visible “canyon” on the building’s northwest facade. Residents of the building will be able to move through portions of the gash, which also cuts through some units’ balconies.
The project broke ground in August 2021 and is being developed by The Max Collaborative, Uplands Real Estate Partners, Wynne Yasmer Real Estate and Zakhem Real Estate Group.
“You can walk by and see it now, sure, but standing in the unit and looking across that balcony and being in that canyon is really an incredibly dramatic sensation,” said Kevin Ratner, co-founder of The Max Collaborative.
The 16-story, 187-unit apartment building likely will be finished by year-end. Ratner said soil, greenery and planters will be installed in the “canyon” this summer. All plants will be native to Colorado and drought-resistant, so they won’t need replacing every year.
“The building in many ways speaks for itself,” Ratner said. “I’ve never seen anything like that before.”
Ratner said the canyon was designed by the lead architect and founder of MAD Architects, Ma Yansong.
“The way he (Yansong) thinks about architecture is really very much in relation to nature,” Ratner said. “When he went to Colorado and Denver he got very inspired by the flat canyons, high desert and the mountains and wanted to bring that into the building.”

The building is expected to be completed later this year. (Maia Luem/BusinessDen)

A view of the “canyon” within One River North. (Courtesy One River North)

The gash, which will soon be filled with greenery, is on the building’s northwest facade. (Maia Luem/BusinessDen)

Looking up in the “canyon” of One River North. (Courtesy One River North)

A rendering of One River North. (BusinessDen file)
Address: 3930 Blake St.
Developer: The Max Collaborative, Uplands Real Estate Partners, Wynne Yasmer Real Estate and Zakhem Real Estate Group
Architects: Shanghai-based MAD Architects and Denver-based Davis Partnership Architects
The lot: R Cap Blake Street purchased the 0.64 acre lot for $7.19 million in 2019
Specs: The project includes roughly 9,000 square feet of retail space. There will be 180 parking spaces in a subterranean garage. Amenities include a spa, 7,000 square-feet rooftop terrace with a pool and 13,000 square feet of open space in the canyon.
Expected completion: End of 2023