4205 2 The chapel is constructed from salt-preserved lumber sourced from piles of salvaged material at Promitory Point. This material is massive, approximated for this project as an 8x8. The mass is used in two ways: as hermetic walls with openings on the SW and NE, and as perforated screen sitting beyond a glass curtain wall on the remaining walls. The mass material is sheared against the grain at the openings, revealing radial textures. The material was originally used for wharfs, a material history that is echoed in the construction method that uses robust metal rods that bind the mass together. The tectonics of the chapel and earthwork drove the project's design development. The materials used: clay, wood, and rock, are carefully considered and rendered to enhance the interplay with the environment: For the earthwork, a massive material that serves as both a retaining method and a "finish" material is best suited by gabion wall. Three layers of gabion constructed on-site would hold back the earth from the conical cavity. On the last layer, the metal mesh can be pulled back away from the ‘floor’ to retain only the 'walls', where they become more vertical than horizontal. This leaves a wire-free gravel surface to circulate on. The chapel's interior is strikingly simple: populated only by a raised seating platform, the blue porcelain sculpture and a thin glass table hung from the ceiling that can be raised and lowered by a simple mechanism. The architecture uses its height and scale, materiality, the animation of light through the perforated walls, symmetry, and the directional focus towards the thin lake-facing window to create a focus and reverence towards this place. This architecture is a place for reflection and celebration and could host a quiet family picnic or a dance recital in which artists move across the desiccated blue platform. This project proposes the commission of a desiccated clay sculpture from local artist Stone Anderson, which is both a seating platform and radiant heat source. Cast approximately two inches thick from blue porcelain, the sculpture features deep cracks and massive peds in addition to the striking color. The concrete foundation that raises the sculpture will house the heating mechanism. **lumber at promitory point 4ft 16ft 4ft 16ft 5ft 20ft 5ft 40ft 3ft 9ft shear against grain radiant heat platform anchors earthwork section metal mesh peds ranging from about 4-18” lumber clay gabion interior plan NE sheared perspective elevation SW sheared elevation 1/4” scale model perforations through mass 8x8 revealing radial textures at openings animates light and emphasizes mass AIA UTAH 2024 STUDENT HONOR AWARD WINNER DESERTED Liveliness, Materialisms and Futures of the Great Salt Lake Watershed Student: LAURIE LARSON, University of Utah SINCE THIS PLACE WAS COLONIZED IN 1847 BY LDS settlers moving westwards, a narrative has baked itself into the landscape: that of building Eden from an empty but holy desert. This narrative necessitates the emptiness of the desert. At the time of colonial inception, this place was already sacred and inhabited, not only by people, but also by millions of plants, reptiles, amphibians, microbes, birds and megafauna. Treating the desert as an empty wasteland shrinks deserts’ ecological, material and cultural liveliness, justifying colonization, displacement, death and misuse. Our lake’s impending disappearance is part of a legacy of toxicity produced by the “emptiness” of deserts. If nothing is of worth in the deserts, then any drop of water that makes it to the desert or our lake is wasted. The outcomes of this project seek to reenchant the land and develop work that sees this place as precious, fascinating and not at all empty. Four smaller projects, including a glossary of place language and a large ceramic sculpture, investigate place from an environmental humanities perspective and form the base for the architectural concept. The architecture is developed from an understanding that we are at the cusp of knowing the future of our home in the next few years, and we peer through a narrowing sliver. The architecture has two main components: a large earthwork (2,000 square feet) and a small chapel (500 square feet). The earthwork is a long precessional space, but it could also be used for gathering or performance, such as a flute recital. The chapel is a simple, quiet space with a seating platform, table and view. This space can open up via a multi-slider to accommodate small celebrations or gatherings. This place is both reflective and celebratory; its simple gesture emphasizes and interacts with the landscape it is settled within. jury comments “The drawings in this project are beautifully executed, with a simple yet compelling concept centered around a chapel constructed from reused trestle wood. The tectonic quality of the design is strong, complemented by a view corridor carved out of earthwork that ties the elements together seamlessly.” “Graphically, the project is quite striking, creating its own unique world. This is an important lesson for students — to craft and convey their story in a way that is true to their vision.” “Rooted in Utah’s Great Salt Lake Watershed, the project demonstrates a strong sense of place and balance between the building and its environment, emphasizing the significance of localized architecture.” 4205 2 The chapel is constructed from salt-preserved lumber sourced from piles of salvaged material at Promitory Point. This material is massive, approximated for this project as an 8x8. The mass is used in two ways: as hermetic walls with openings on the SW and NE, and as perforated screen sitting beyond a glass curtain wall on the remaining walls. The mass material is sheared against the grain at the openings, revealing radial textures. The material was originally used for wharfs, a material history that is echoed in the construction method that uses robust metal rods that bind the mass together. The tectonics of the chapel and earthwork drove the project's design development. The materials used: clay, wood, and rock, are carefully considered and rendered to enhance the interplay with the environment: For the earthwork, a massive material that serves as both a retaining method and a "finish" material is best suited by gabion wall. Three layers of gabion constructed on-site would hold back the earth from the conical cavity. On the last layer, the metal mesh can be pulled back away from the ‘floor’ to retain only the 'walls', where they become more vertical than horizontal. This leaves a wire-free gravel surface to circulate on. The chapel's interior is strikingly simple: populated only by a raised seating platform, the blue porcelain sculpture and a thin glass table hung from the ceiling that can be raised and lowered by a simple mechanism. The architecture uses its height and scale, materiality, the animation of light through the perforated walls, symmetry, and the directional focus towards the thin lake-facing window to create a focus and reverence towards this place. This architecture is a place for reflection and celebration and could host a quiet family picnic or a dance recital in which artists move across the desiccated blue platform. This project proposes the commission of a desiccated clay sculpture from local artist Stone Anderson, which is both a seating platform and radiant heat source. Cast approximately two inches thick from blue porcelain, the sculpture features deep cracks and massive peds in addition to the striking color. The concrete foundation that raises the sculpture will house the heating mechanism. **lumber at promitory point 4ft 16ft 4ft 16ft 5ft 20ft 5ft 40ft 3ft 9ft shear against grain radiant heat platform anchors earthwork section metal mesh peds ranging from about 4-18” lumber clay gabion interior plan NE sheared perspective elevation SW sheared elevation 1/4” scale model perforations through mass 8x8 revealing radial textures at openings animates light and emphasizes mass 20 2025 AIA UTAH MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY
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