Alumni Spotlight

Chris Achenbach is the founder of Urban Roots Development, a company focused on crafting sustainable, mixed-use, outside-the-box development projects. As a licensed architect and Class A general contractor, Chris brings technical know-how together with extensive experience while developing some of the most sustainable and successful projects in the Denver region.

Before Urban Roots, Chris co-founded Zocalo Community Development, where he served as principal for 12 years, overseeing the design, development, and construction of signature mixed-use and residential projects throughout the city. These projects have helped shape the character of Denver’s redeveloping neighborhoods and have helped redefine the role of sustainability in large-scale, institutional-sized development projects.

Chris’s companies and projects have received numerous accolades, including the Grand Tribute Award from the Apartment Association of Metro Denver and the Denver Business Journal’s Residential Developer of the Year award. Chris is very active with the Colorado Urban Land Institute (ULI) and has held several leadership roles with the organization, including serving as chair and vice chair. He also cofounded the ULI Sustainable Communities Committee. In addition, Chris has contributed his time and expertise to Habitat for Humanity and the Denver Mayor’s Development Advisory Committee.

Chris grew up in the Green Mountains of Vermont, where he received a Psychology degree from the University of Vermont. In 1998, he earned his Master of Architecture degree from the College of Architecture and Planning at the University of Colorado Denver.