“Architecture is the thoughtful making of space.” – Louis Kahn
Founded in Denver, Colorado in 2022, Catalyst Architecture, Planning, & Development is recognized for its commitment to quality, integrity, and equity. In every project, founders Seth Donnell and Anthony Gengaro take on, they ask themselves how they can do it thoughtfully in a way that creates a positive influence in the urban or natural landscape.
With a motto that consistently echoes quality over quantity, Seth and Anthony are on an architectural quest to enrich the human experience—one design at a time.
Meet Seth
Seth grew up in a very rural setting removed from cityscapes, though his curiosity and interest in design started at a young age.
In junior high, he wrote himself a letter that was to be opened years later as a high school senior. “What do I want to be when I grow up?” the letter inquired. An architect, Seth answered.
With a passion for serving people and for creating beauty in the world—Seth discovered the intersection of these two elements in architecture and pursued his undergraduate degree in Environmental Design at Texas A&M and his graduate degree in architecture at CU Denver. He then was involved in multiple firms within the Denver area, starting as an associate and quickly moving up to the Director for Architecture Design.
Today, his leap of fourth has led him to an entirely new leadership role, as the owner of his own firm.
“Design can last a really long time,” Seth says, “so we want it to create beneficial change in the communities that we’re working on.”
Meet Anthony
At a young age, Anthony’s father often took him to New York City to visit family, and his affinity for dense cities blossomed.
“I just remember it being such a phenomenal feeling of just feeling small but also understanding and feeling the intrinsic history and the decision-making over time that had to take place in order to create the space,” Anthony recalls.
Fascinated by the psychology of people and the way architecture and design have a direct impact on how we feel and relate to the spaces we inhabit, rural or urban, Anthony pursued an education in Environmental Design from CU Boulder with a specific interest in master planning and urban development.
“With design and architecture, you have to look through a deeper lens to see how you're affecting the emotions of an individual space, “Anthony adds, “I think that's kind of where I began and what I was wanting to see.”
Working with Catalyst
When their paths crossed in architecture school, Seth and Anthony quickly realized they had a unique synergy and worked together on various projects. After both receiving their master’s degrees in architecture from CU Denver’s College of Architecture and Planning, the two set out to work in separate firms—Seth in a design building firm and Anthony in an architecture firm.
When they converged again, Catalyst was born.
With their varied yet complementary interests in business, architecture, design, and construction, Seth and Anthony take what they have learned from their different backgrounds and experiences, and bring them together to create a well-rounded, multidisciplinary firm that focuses on quality over quantity.
“We have a wide breadth of what we do,” Anthony says, “and as long as it’s driving change and allowing for thoughtful design, we’ll achieve the kind of goals that we’re setting out for.”
In their projects, the team serves to bridge the gap between the historic and the modern, creating an homage to both with thoughtfully curated design and architecture that embraces the old and the new. They take a holistic approach to the built environment and focus on networking to bring a larger change to the industry overall and to create a community where they achieve more together.
In every project they do, the team is dedicated to making each and every decision with intention.
Catalyst is currently accepting projects of various scopes in many locations across the U.S. From historic rehabilitation to custom high-end homes, restaurants, and multi-unit spaces, their experience is as vast as their interests.
Seth and Anthony have also recently started the Catalyst Fund, where a portion of their design fees goes towards helping communities in need.
For more information, please email Catalyst at: info@catalyst-arch.com or call them at 303.748.2525 or 432.296.2850