PUB 6 2025-2026 ISSUE 2 MEMBER SPOTLIGHT BRUCE T. FALLON, AIA Murray Theatre Renovation Breathes New Life and Purpose Into Historic Cinema
President Whitney Ward, AIA, LEED AP BD+C President-Elect Clio Rayner, AIA, LEED AP BD+C Secretary Natalie Shutt-Banks, AIA Treasurer Libby Haslam, AIA Editor Frances Pruyn, CPSM Staff Executive Director Angie Harris Roberts Managing Director Joe Mangum ©2026 AIA Utah | The newsLINK Group LLC. All rights reserved. Reflexion is published quarterly by The newsLINK Group LLC for AIA Utah and is the official publication for this association. The information contained in this publication is intended to provide general information for review, consideration and education. The contents do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied on as such. If you need legal advice or assistance, it is strongly recommended that you contact an attorney as to your circumstances. The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the AIA Utah, its board of directors or the publisher. Likewise, the appearance of advertisements within this publication does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of any product or service advertised. Reflexion is a collective work, and as such, some articles are submitted by authors who are independent of the AIA Utah. While AIA Utah encourages a first-print policy, in cases where this is not possible, every effort has been made to comply with any known reprint guidelines or restrictions. Content may not be reproduced or reprinted without prior written permission. For further information, please contact the publisher at (855) 747-4003. 4 President’s Message Helping Architects Be Better Architects AIA Utah 2025 Year-End Summary 6 Editor’s Note 7 Member Spotlight Bruce T. Fallon, AIA 8 Legends Anne Mooney, FAIA 12 Legends Prescott Muir, FAIA 16 NWL Architects A 75-Year Legacy of Relationships, Resilience and Design 18 Murray Theatre Renovation Breathes New Life and Purpose Into Historic Cinema 20 AIA Utah 2025 Young Architect Award Winner Shawn Benjamin, AIA 21 AIA Utah 2025 Associate Member Award Winner Surbhi Ghodke, Associate AIA 22 HKS: AIA Utah 2025 Firm Award Winner 23 In Memoriam Lynn Atwood 1952-2025 23 In Memoriam Steven Crane 1948-2025 24 Built To Perform, Designed To Inspire AMSCO Windows and Doors Through 75 Years of Architectural Vision 26 Richard K.A. Kletting: Utah Architect and Renaissance Man Allen Roberts and Nan Weber Launch Definitive Treatment CONTENTS Reflexion is a publication of the Utah Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. aiautah.org AIA Utah 280 S. 400 W., Ste. 150 Salt Lake City, UT 84101 3
Helping Architects Be Better Architects AIA Utah 2025 Year-End Summary BY WHITNEY WARD, AIA, LEED BD+C, PRESIDENT, AIA UTAH In 2025, AIA Utah advanced its mission of helping architects be better architects by educating, advocating for and engaging with our members across the state. It was a year defined by energy, collaboration and meaningful progress for the profession. A Year of Impactful Engagement AIA Utah partnered with allied organizations to provide 17 collaborative events and independently hosted an additional 35 events, giving members access to 52 total programs at free or reduced cost. These offerings drew 974 member attendances and reflected our commitment to delivering value to our members. Each program was intentionally aligned with our chapter values, which continue to guide our work and shape the profession in Utah. Design Excellence Actively seeking design excellence through education and celebration. From building tours to award celebrations, members experienced firsthand the innovation shaping our state. Highlights included the Central Section Design Awards, the Fairpark Historic Homes Tour, UVU and U of U project tours, and our capstone event — the AIA Utah Conference and Architecture Awards. These programs showcased exemplary work, elevated design dialogue and reinforced Utah’s leadership in thoughtful, high-quality architecture. Our architectural achievements will also be highlighted through our new partnership with America ByDesign, where we will be able to showcase the incredible design work of Utah architects. This on-going partnership will highlight the work by Utah architects for years to come. Stewardship Representing the health, safety and welfare of people and our natural surroundings. Stewardship continued to be a defining focus in 2025. Members explored critical topics including zero-emission housing, high-performance materials, water infrastructure, historic preservation and transit-oriented development. Tours of the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, Park City Water Treatment Facility and Spanish Fork Library Hall connected policy, sustainability and design in a meaningful, hands-on way. We were able to support the Division of Facilities Construction and Management at the State of Utah through a review and recommendation of improvements for the State Design Standards, ensuring state-funded projects use public funding wisely and enhance state operations. We also strengthened partnerships with organizations advancing environmental leadership — from USGBC to Utah Clean Energy — broadening the chapter’s reach and shared impact. Integrity Maintaining honesty and professional ethics in practice. AIA Utah supported members in navigating licensure, professional development, ethics and firm management. Programs such as Architect Licensure in Utah, the Salary Negotiations Workshop, Pathway to Fellowship and our Government Affairs legislative briefings equipped members with clarity and confidence in their careers. We are also starting an architectural integrity task force to explore ways to support qualifications-based selections and fair value for architectural work within the state to support integrity and professional ethics statewide. 4 REFLEXION
Through these efforts, we reinforced the standards, professionalism and transparency that define both our chapter and the broader architectural community. Inclusivity Creating space for all voices through networking, collaboration and mentorship. Throughout the year, AIA Utah strengthened community connections and expanded member engagement. Events such as Pioneering Women in Architecture, EQxD & NOMA Utah’s Visa Sponsorship workshop, NOMA Project Pipeline, YAF Crafted Conversations and social gatherings across the state fostered new relationships and helped support our emerging professionals, firm leaders, students and allied partners. Our Affordable Housing Task Force has championed the architect’s role in supporting equitable and attainable housing within Utah. This engagement will continue into next year to support this important issue. We even had an opportunity to engage with AIA National voices, including AIA President Evelyn Lee and AIA National candidates, to meet with our board and members, further reinforcing our commitment to belonging, representation and chapter development. Organizational Success in 2025 In addition to programmatic achievements, AIA Utah made significant internal and administrative progress that strengthened the foundation of the chapter: We proudly operated within our approved 2025 budget, delivering every planned program and meeting our annual goals while maintaining responsible fiscal oversight. The chapter successfully: • Updated and adopted improved bylaws • Drafted and implemented revised operating policies to support the bylaws These updates clarified processes, reduced administrative complexity and created a more seamless experience for members and volunteers. We expanded collaboration with AIA National as well as local affiliate organizations, including Preservation Utah, the Utah Society of Landscape Architects, AGC and ACEC — broadening our shared impact and strengthening the voice of design in Utah. Through firm visits, AIA Utah listened to member needs, identified new opportunities and deepened relationships with firms of all sizes. Our Firm Leadership Summit, focused on small firms and residential practices, provided a platform for discussing challenges and shaping future resources to better serve every segment of our membership. Looking Ahead This was a year of meaningful progress, strong engagement and strategic growth for AIA Utah. Through collaboration, advocacy and continued commitment to our values, we strengthened the profession and supported architects across the state. Thank you to our members, volunteers, partners and leaders for making this year one of connection, momentum and shared achievement. We look forward to building on these successes in 2026 — continuing to help architects be better architects. Reach out today and let’s talk about your next project. ALDERS.COM A Leading Distributor of Specialty Building Materials 5
Editor’s Note BY FRAN PRUYN, CPSM One of the great honors that my association with AIA Utah brings me is the opportunity to interview “AIA Utah Legends” — architects who have been practicing in Utah for many decades and are responsible for founding legacy firms and designing seminal buildings. We talk with these folks, record the interviews, write an article for Reflexion and, thanks to the donated efforts of videographer Robert Holman, produce a video. All this is archived in the Marriott Library for the perusal of future generations. In this issue, we feature two wonderful subjects: Anne Mooney, FAIA, and Prescott Muir, FAIA. Shortly before the East Wing of the White House was demolished, I talked with Prescott, and he was prescient. I hope you read the entire interview, but one memorable quote was (paraphrased), “Be careful of undoing the work of your competitors: remodeling, undoing, tearing it down. Stop already. You are undoing the memory of everyone that lives in the place.” The AIA’s (informal) mission statement is “helping architects be better architects.” In this issue, we feature architects who are seriously invested in making things better for the community. In addition to Anne and Prescott, who have contributed mightily to Salt Lake City, are our honor awardees: HKS, Shawn Benjamin and Surbhi Ghodke, professionals who are deeply invested in Utah’s built environment. Read their profiles. Additionally, we commemorate two architects who recently passed away: Lynn Attwood and Steve Crane, whose imprint is evident in many Utah structures. Chris Lund and Eric Madsen, principals at NWL, spoke with me about the firm’s commitment to providing stability and reliability to its clients and employees alike. They are reaching their 75th anniversary — and have grown their firm from a handful of professionals to a thriving business that specializes in education, religious and federal work. And finally, restoring a crumbling building comes with an enormous set of challenges, and every owner and architect inevitably asks, “Yeah, it is a landmark, but is it worth it?” Murray City answered this question with an emphatic yes when it committed to the rehabilitation of the Murray Theatre, a renovated venue. Flip to page 18 to learn about the Theatre’s history and what the owner and CRSA design team had to do to make it a legitimate venue for both live performers and cinema. Reflexion is one of the benefits of AIA Utah membership. If you have ideas about stories that architects in our community should read, I’d love to give you column inches. Write to me at franpruyn@outlook.com. Fran Pruyn 6 REFLEXION
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Bruce T. Fallon, AIA Time is valuable, why AIA? I’ve been accused of being an AIA addict. I started volunteering shortly after receiving my license in California as the IDP coordinator for Southern California with the AIA California Council. Little did I know what a journey it would take me on. After more than 20 years of being involved with the AIA, I have a much clearer “why” for my involvement. There are three reasons I have been involved in the AIA. First, I have found that the connections I’ve made during various opportunities locally, regionally and nationally have been a great source of support and friendship. Serving together for the good of the profession, trying to help each of us improve at what we do, has been a very satisfying thing to be a part of. I have enjoyed associating with members throughout the country, and I know that I can reach out to any of them for help or advice. The people have been the best part of my involvement in the AIA. Second, I have enjoyed utilizing the resources of an organization much bigger than myself to benefit as many architects as possible, including myself. Early on, as a member of the National AIA YAF AdCom, I was responsible for submitting programs for Grassroots and the national convention. It was suggested to me to pursue things that I find interesting and that will specifically help my practice, so that’s exactly what I’ve done through my service. If I need it, others in the AIA likely need it as well. Finally, I have enjoyed the benefits of serving and learning from others, traveling to places I may not have visited on my own, and connecting with people I would never have met otherwise. It does require my time, but I am sure that I have gained so much more from my service in the AIA than I have given. Favorite Utah space, built or natural: I grew up in Oregon, which is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to. For me, one of my favorite places in Utah is the backside of Mount Timpanogos along the Alpine Loop. It reminds me of where I grew up, with fields of ferns and evergreen trees all around. One year, we took a group of young men from church and hiked up to Box Elder Peak starting in Alpine, then down to the Timpooneke campground. We then rode mountain bikes around the mountain and finished with an afternoon of water skiing on Utah Lake. It was an amazing week to enjoy a fantastic place. Favorite book: If you really know me, you know that I’m not much of a reader. I try, but it’s not something I really enjoy. In 2020, I set a goal to read one book per month, and I ended up reading 10 that year, which is pretty good. I have found listening to podcasts to be a more enjoyable and informative source of knowledge. I don’t know that I could pick one favorite podcast. Still, the ones I listen to regularly include “Life of an Architect” with Bob Borson and Andrew Hawkins; the “EntreArchitect” podcast with Jeff Echols; “Life of a CEO” by Steven Bartlett; and “The Reaction,” a podcast covering Liverpool Football Club in England. There are some others, but those are the ones I enjoy the most. I’ve just recently found one called “High Performance” with Damian Hughes and Jake Humphrey. It’s super interesting to hear the stories of high-performing people. Mantra: I think the best phrase to describe my mantra is “why not?” I asked my children what they would say, and one suggested “true connection and friendship leads to true opportunities,” because of how many times a connection with someone has led me to experience career growth or a random experience. As a soccer coach, I wanted to expose my players to successful people, especially strong women, to give the girls someone to look up to. I discovered that even if I didn’t know someone, all I had to do was reach out and ask for their help, and they would usually be willing to give it. My “why not?” mantra stems from a faith in God. When I have given my best effort and done what I believe is best for me, my company or my family, God has provided for me almost every time. When I ask myself if I should do something, I can tell myself, “Why not?” Then I can move forward, knowing it will all work out. 7
Beginnings When did you decide to become an architect? I was in college. I had never met an architect; I had no architects in my family or in my familiar world. I studied lots of different subjects throughout my education, searching for that thing that was going to be my professional direction, something I was passionate about. I took classes in psychology, sociology and philosophy, and I ended up with a business degree sort of by default. Then I took a class in architecture, and it changed my life. Tom Kass at the University of Utah taught a lot of our Utah architects. His colleague, Gail Della-Piana, was my professor. She really did change my life. I remember sitting in the studio drawing a detail of the rose window of the Cathedral of the Madeleine. I worked on just that for hours and then days. She really taught me how to see things in a completely new way. I knew it would inform my direction. This was in the 1980s, and I was well into my education, so I couldn’t switch to architecture. At that time, Utah just had a graduate program. So, I finished my degree in business and then I immediately started pursuing architecture. I moved to Los Angeles and started taking LEGENDS Anne Mooney, FAIA INTERVIEW BY FRAN PRUYN, CPSM As part of our ongoing series of interviews with architectural legends, we are proud to present this interview with Anne Mooney. It was a pleasure to interview her and to learn more about all the contributions she has made to the industry. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. night classes at UCLA. I took a course at the Southern California Institute of Architecture, titled “Making and Meaning” with Gary Paige, to build my portfolio. Gary Paige taught us that architecture was walking around with your eyes open. That didn’t make sense to me at the time, but after practicing architecture for decades, I realized this is what architecture is about. It’s about paying attention and noticing details in our environment. The most important skill we have as architects is to really listen, pay attention and notice things, and then translate that into architecture. My portfolio, at the time, was all handmade. I made the paper in my portfolio in a Japanese paper-making class. I used roofing tar paper for the cover and then delivered it to different graduate schools. I thought living in New York would be a completely different experience for someone who grew up in the West, in Montana, Utah and California. I went to Columbia in New York to study. The school was great, and living in proximity to all those 8 REFLEXION
cultural resources was fantastic, but I also learned that I didn’t want to live in New York or on the East Coast. I’m not a big-city person, or at least not an East Coast big-city person. I finished my education at the Southern California Institute of Architecture and was fortunate to study with some amazing architects who really helped me launch my career. I also went to Switzerland to study, which I loved, because its mountains and contextual architecture are similar to those found in the American West. I loved every second of being an architecture student. One of my professors at SCI-Arc was Eric Owen Moss. I took an incredible studio with him, which I really enjoyed. I think he enjoyed having me as a student. I got a job in his Culver City office, where I did my internship. It was a lot like being in school, which was fun. It was very intense and immersive. We worked on projects in Culver City, but we also worked on competitions all around the world. I learned the technical aspects of architecture, like how to detail buildings, and my interest in materials was sharpened in that studio. The best thing was that it wasn’t all paper architecture. We could walk out the door and see our designs being produced down the street. I primarily worked on construction documents under the guidance of some very talented architects. AutoCAD was coming onto the scene. I started by hand-drafting and then transitioned to AutoCAD for our technical documents on notable projects, such as the Samitaur Building in Culver City. We also designed a unique experimental performance space for the Los Angeles Philharmonic that featured warped glass planes. When I was in school, a professor said, “You would be a good teacher; would you like to pursue that?” I said, “Sure,” and became a teaching assistant for an undergraduate design studio. I also began teaching in the summers, as well as in after-school programs for elementary school children in Los Angeles through the Vitruvius program, where we introduced young children to architecture. I didn’t see myself in front of large lecture rooms and classrooms, but I realized that I could get people excited about architecture in the same way that Gail Della-Piana had gotten me excited about architecture. Since then, I have maintained a dual career in architectural practice and teaching. Private Practice Let’s talk about the evolution of your career. My partner and husband, John Sparano, and I decided to start a practice in Los Angeles. We started it in our apartment, and it has grown steadily over the years. We have a practice of nearly 20 people across two states, operating in the western region of the United States. We’re generalist architects, and we’ve always wanted to be generalists. We don’t specialize in a particular typology, and that is really strategic. It might be a better business strategy to focus on one project type, but this way, we get to learn things from different typologies and apply them. We are a well-rounded team of architects in our office, and no one is ever bored with doing the same thing over and over again. From the very beginning, we’ve worked on public projects. We had a very early commission for a community center in a public park. We also work on arts and culture projects, and we consistently include single-family residences in our practice. We like to keep a couple of houses in the office because they remind us of the importance of the individual human experience and how important a home is in someone’s life. When and why did you decide to open a practice? It is a challenging business decision and kind of scary to open your own practice. It’s risky. I think the main reason I wanted to start a practice is that I would have more flexibility with my time. 9
I knew that I wanted to have a family, and I think that would have been very difficult working in the intense architecture environment I was in. When I first started, I felt that teaching was important too, because it would provide me with more stability and benefits. Of course, we now offer these things in our office, but at the time, I was depending on my teaching position for that. It provided a steady income to balance the fluctuations of an emerging practice. There are always challenges to running a business. In the early days, it was about financial stability, hiring carefully and then growing carefully. We still think about that: financial sustainability by growing at a very careful rate. We’re proud to say that we’ve never laid anybody off in all the years of our practice. We don’t hire and fire. We don’t expand and contract with projects. We would rather not hire somebody if we don’t have a role for them long-term. We’ve always worked in the public sector because we knew that our clients would pay. They often take a long time, but their checks don’t bounce, and they pay regularly. When we were starting out in Los Angeles, the dot-com industry was expanding and then crashing. We saw many architects who were dependent on those projects go out of business. Talk about your decision to come to Utah. We decided to open a second office in Utah about 10 years into our Los Angeles practice. It really aligned with when I had my children. At the time, we weren’t sure if there would be work here, so we naturally continued working in Los Angeles. There was a lot of commuting. At the time, people weren’t really working as we do now, anywhere in the world. The public projects were more challenging to break into in the Utah market, so we began with more private sector work. We were well-established with public sector projects in Los Angeles, so it was a nice balance. There’s a benefit to being in two markets, as if the economy slows in one, we can stabilize it with the other. Is there anything you would have done differently? One of my early mentors, Norberto Martinez, said, “When you have your own business, the highs are much higher, but the lows are much lower.” I think that’s true. When you’re working in a large firm, sometimes you don’t even understand the lows because they’re shielded from employees, and hopefully, the highs are shared with everybody. There are inevitable lows and disappointments. However, sometimes things are beyond our control, such as the economy. Sometimes we don’t get projects that we really wanted to land, and those disappointments are just part of running a business and being an architect. How do you structure the responsibilities in your firm? We have a small practice; everyone does a little of everything. We have project managers who are architects who run the day-to-day, and then they have a team of junior people supporting them. People work on projects from conceptual development through production, delivery and construction. We have one team that follows the project all the way through. That has been really successful for us. The team likes it because they get to be involved every step of the way. We try to mix up the project sizes, stress loads and typologies so that people 10 REFLEXION
have a good variety of things to work on. We have some business professionals who run our office, including a wonderful studio manager, and John and I are very involved in business decisions. We also now have two partners. One of our partners has been with us for 27 years. We have one partner in Los Angeles and one in Salt Lake City. What are some of your favorite projects? My favorite project is always the one that I’m currently working on, and we’re working on really incredible projects right now. If you had asked me that question five years ago, I think I would have said the same thing: that I’m working on amazing projects. I feel really lucky that we have been able to work on extraordinary projects consistently. Anything that affects a large community is important to us. There are community centers that we’ve done, like St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church, that impact a large community. The museums, arts and cultural projects are important because they improve the quality of life for the communities we serve. The Profession: Changes, Challenges and Insights How has the profession evolved since you were in school in the ‘80s? Technology has been a positive thing. It’s made our offices more efficient, and we can produce things quickly. I think one of my jobs is to slow us down a little bit. Technology is all about speeding things up and making things fast, fast, fast. However, we also want to be thoughtful, and that means taking a more thoughtful approach to design and problem-solving. I think a balance of analog and digital is essential, and it’s something we incorporate in all of our projects. We still build physical models. I think we’re one of the few firms that still do that. We, of course, build everything in digital form as well and produce our construction documents using BIM. However, those analog starts are crucial in the way we communicate with our clients. Reading drawings can be confusing, so physical models and hand-drawn sketches remain powerful tools that architects can bring to the table. I am optimistic about what AI will bring to architecture, but I don’t think AI will ever replace architects. It might replace architects for clients that you might not want to work with anyway, if they’re just interested in reproducing things that already exist and can be copied. I think the value of an architect lies in developing something site-specific, program-specific and client-specific; you need an architect to put all those pieces together. Some women in the field feel that they entered school at a disadvantage because many men had construction experience. Does that ring true for you? I come from an aviation family. My father, his brothers and my grandfather were all pilots. My sister became a flight attendant, my brother an aircraft mechanic. I had no construction background and had no opportunities to take drafting in high school. I don’t even know if that would have been on my radar in high school, but it wasn’t even offered. I had a steep learning curve when I started school. I had a lot to learn, but I was also really interested in learning every single aspect of architecture: the design perspective, the technology, the construction, the constructability aspect and the human factors. All of it was interesting to me. I had never worked on construction sites until we started building our own projects. When I started, there were very few women in my classes. In the class I took with Eric Moss, there were 18 of us; I was one of two women and two Americans. There were people from all over the world studying there. When I started working, there were only two women in the office out of about 25 people. I think that is changing now. In school, there’s more gender parity. I think there might be slightly more women in architecture schools than men currently. However, over time, they often drop out of the field, which is unfortunate. The challenge, even to this day, is that people don’t always see me as an architect. When I go to a construction site, they talk to one of the guys I’m with. It is what it is. I think there still is an image of what an architect looks like, and it’s not a woman. I hope that changes. I think it will change. There are many great female architects in this country and around the world. I believe there are role models now that didn’t exist in the past. It’s just a slow change. I think women bring a lot to the field; they bring a different perspective. They contribute to the conversations in a different way. What would you tell a young architect today? I would tell young architects to be patient. I think people want to get out of school and immediately become a superstar, earning great commissions. Frank Gehry was the commencement speaker at my graduation from SCI-Arc. He said, “Beware of early success,” and that was a valuable message to hear, because we all want to achieve early success. We all want to make a name for ourselves in our field, but architecture is a profession that requires patience and steady progression. Every project, no matter how small, matters. Success might not happen right away, but if you’re patient and do good work, those things will pay off. Is there anything different you would tell a young female architect from a young male architect? Young men often want to get licensed immediately, which wasn’t as important to me when I was that age. But when I got licensed, I could call myself an architect. Ultimately, I do think it’s important, especially for women, to be able to say, “I’m an architect,” not “I’m an architectural designer or an intern or whatever.” Being able to say “I’m an architect” is significant. I feel so blessed that I found this field. I think it’s something that really has a lot to offer the world. It’s a wonderful way to make a living and spend your days. 11
Origins Tell me when you decided to become an architect. When I was the director of the University of Utah’s architecture school, I always asked the students how they made that decision. It always seemed kind of random. So, I’m going to recommend five books. They inform how and why we make these decisions. Frankly, science would indicate that it’s embedded in us. They infer that it is as much the profession choosing you as you choosing the profession. The texts are “The Darwinian Survival Guide” by Daniel Brooks; “Sapiens” by Yuval Harari; “Determined” and “Behave,” both by Robert Sopolosky, a behavioral scientist at Stanford; and “Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World” by René Girard, who was an anthropologist at Stanford. These books posit that human beings are unique among species in that we undergo most of our maturation and brain development outside the womb, and it takes approximately 35 years for our brains to fully form. That’s a lot of time spent being influenced by others; we are so fundamentally wired to learn by imitation. Girard posits that at some point, the person you imitate becomes the other; the other you invariably envy. You’re learning by copying, but ultimately, they become a rival. I was impressed by an architect when I was in junior high, Richard Brimley. There’s no doubt that I identified with him. He graduated from the University of Utah. Back then, the Salt Lake economy was struggling. Most of the firms depended on the state or school districts for work, and whenever the state awarded a project, all the draftsmen and recent interns in town would move from one office to another that had secured the most recent job. Brimley ultimately moved to Boston to work for The Architects Collaborative, so fortunately my imitation didn’t end up as envy. How did you imitate Brimley? We had a similar period of searching and restlessness while having a lot of expectations as to what the profession should offer. LEGENDS Prescott Muir, FAIA INTERVIEW BY FRAN PRUYN, CPSM As part of our ongoing series of interviews with architectural legends, we are proud to present this interview with Prescott Muir. It was a pleasure to interview him and to learn more about all the contributions he has made to the industry. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. 12 REFLEXION
Education I started at the University of Utah in 1967, knowing I wanted to be an architect. The U had just transitioned from a five-year undergraduate professional degree to a graduate degree, so I had to choose an undergraduate degree that I didn’t really want to pursue. I started as an art major. Towards the middle of that year, I just decided, “I enjoy art, but I want to be an architect.” So, I went to the dean, Bob Bliss, who was a big advocate for the graduate program because they’d just initiated it. I told him I preferred a five-year track that would be more streamlined than a six-year graduate degree, and he said, “Why don’t you consider Southern Cal?” I applied, got in and completed my degree, only to find out it would take another three years to get a license. I was working for one of my professors in LA, and my wife was not happy with all the commuting and smog. We went up to San Francisco, where in the early ‘70s, every architect graduate went looking for work. I remember going into offices. They’d have a big stack of resumes, and yours would go on the bottom, and they would take from the top. I spent a month or six weeks in San Francisco looking for work, then sent a resume back to Salt Lake and got hired by Edwards and Daniels. Sopolosky might say, “You were just following a path that was laid out for you.” You think you are making choices, but certain doors open and others close. San Francisco was not open; Salt Lake was. I came back here, worked for Edwards and Daniels and then followed Tim Thomas and Steve Petersen when they set up Thomas, Peterson and Hammond Architects. About the time I got licensed, I recognized that the profession wasn’t what I thought it was. What were you disappointed with? I think the creative aspect was not what I thought it was going to be. You’re basically cranking out construction drawings and learning how to put buildings together. And at that age, I was anxious to get on with it. I’d gone through school, gotten licensed and realized I wanted more from the profession. I just found that discouraging. So, I thought, “Well, I just need to take some time off and assess my options.” I took a year off and traveled through Europe, looking at all Le Corbusier’s buildings. I returned and started a studio over Guthrie’s Bike Shop. I thought I could use my undergraduate degree in architecture as a prerequisite to get an MFA degree, only to find out I had to build up all sorts of studio hours first. So, I enrolled at the U in their art program, and it got to the point where I was practicing architecture on the side, paying the bills, and then painting a lot and going to school. I finally got the studio hours to apply to an MFA program and started doing a little teaching as an adjunct at the U. I enjoyed that and decided to pursue a master’s degree in architecture. I applied to graduate schools in architecture and art simultaneously. I decided, “I’m going to apply to the best schools that I can, and whoever chooses me is the path I will take.” I didn’t get into the art school I wanted, but I got into both Harvard and Columbia’s Master of Architecture programs. One door closed, while the other was open, so that was the path I took. We moved to New York, and I went to Columbia. I was an old student by then, mid-30s. I felt it was hard to keep up with the younger ones. Sopolosky says your brain is not mature until you’re 35. So maybe age 35 is when you really start understanding who you are or are meant to be. Before that, you’re responding to mentors, to people trying to guide you. I think you start developing a little more confidence. It was a great experience. I learned a lot more about architecture than I did as an undergraduate. Maybe that was maturity, taking it more seriously than an undergraduate would. I knew I wanted to teach and had some contacts at various schools. I’d get shortlisted repeatedly, go through the process and not get the job. I had a good friend with whom I had collaborated on some projects, Gerald Allen, who also taught at Carnegie Mellon and North Carolina State. He gave me the best advice: “Pursue your career, and if you want to teach, teaching will come to you. If you pursue teaching, you may end up bouncing all over the country at the expense of a career, as architects must be dedicated to a community and building relationships. It’s almost the opposite of academia.” Private Practice When I went back to graduate school, I had already started an office in Salt Lake, so I left my office with some very capable guys, but they didn’t really have the necessary management experience and incurred a lot of debt. I said, “We’ll come back 13
to Salt Lake for six months, clean this thing up and then move back to New York.” We moved the family back to Salt Lake, and it took two or three years to clean up the mess and get the business back on track. By then, the economy had changed; it was tough to find work in New York, and the cost of living was significantly higher. So I ended up staying in Salt Lake, building the practice and then I started teaching. Bob Hermanson invited me to teach a studio with him, so that was the start of 35 years as an adjunct, eventually receiving tenure and teaching studio every other year. Then, eventually, I applied for the directorship and got that. That was such an honor. Let’s talk about your practice and its trajectory; how did you rebuild it? It was a lot of cutting expenses, which is painful because the primary expense in an architecture business is labor — people. When you build relationships with people and train them, it’s painful to let them go; that is the brutal necessity of business. I always felt like I wanted to have an emphasis on design, having seen comparative practices in LA and New York. That was tough in Salt Lake. This was the beginning of quality-based selection, which basically said, “Let’s reward future projects to somebody who has a portfolio of 25 fire stations.” It’s tough to break into that. So, I thought the prescription for survival was to get some bread-and-butter clients. We started with grocery stores: Smith’s, which became Kroger. After 45 years, they’ve been very loyal to us; they paid the bills that allowed us to pursue more speculative design-oriented work. That was the business model, and I think that worked. I think you tend to get stigmatized by the kind of work you do, which is okay. It’s a business and you’ve got to tend to that aspect, or you won’t survive. Memorable projects? The state’s promotion of quality-based selection, almost overnight, forced local architects to team up with national firms that brought the portfolio. That’s still going on. We teamed for the central Salt Lake Library with Gwathmey Siegel. Charles was such a great guy, as was Bob Siegel, his partner. We got shortlisted but weren’t awarded the project. But we developed a very good relationship with those guys. Subsequently, we pursued the Utah Museum of Fine Arts project on campus, teaming with Charlie and Bob, only to discover that Frank Sanguinetti, the director, did not like the museum that Charlie and Bob had created at the University of Washington. That’s like something I should have known yesterday. So, we didn’t get that, but the project resurfaced in a different form, and we teamed up with Machado-Silvetti, whom I thought was a better fit for Frank Sanguinetti and the campus. We were able to win that. That was just before the Olympics, and we’d done the programming on it with another firm, so we were very familiar with the project. That was a very rewarding association. We’re still working with those guys. Those partnerships can be difficult, but they can also be very rewarding if you pick the right firm. We had other collaborations with national firms that were not pleasant. It’s a cautionary tale for younger architects to try to find a good, collaborative, mutually respectful relationship. Otherwise, it can be somewhat painful. You can be subject to abuse when the national firm comes in and you pick them up at the airport, carry their luggage up to a meeting and become their drafting service. They often take the lion’s share of the fees upfront and then leave you with insufficient funds to complete the job. As a result, we’ve typically tried to go it alone. If it’s not in the cards for a local architect to win the job, then we’re just not going to pursue it. Instead, we focus more on our long-term relationships with clients that become very meaningful over time. You’re on the front line of the stewardship of the buildings that you create, which I think is wonderful. Architecture as an Evolving Craft Tell me about the evolution of architecture since you started in the profession. The tools have changed so much. I don’t think the buildings, per se, have necessarily changed. That’s the interesting thing about architecture. We’re always projecting into the future, but we’ve got this tradition of how to build and that knowledge base. It’s like taking an ocean liner and trying to steer in a different direction. But the tools have radically changed. When I started, everything was analog. With the Mies School education at Southern Cal, we used Rapidograph pens on Strathmore boards, and those pens never flowed well. You’re trying to keep the thing flowing as you’re drawing, and invariably it splotches, and you would have to start over. I look back on that and wonder why Mies put people through that, especially building models. We’d do these clear-span exhibition halls like McCormick Place in Chicago, using brass trusses. And Alfred Caldwell would find the little brass shapes that replicated the wide flange beams. They were just meticulous. You’d build these jigs and then set the brass, and you’d cut the brass and set it there and solder it, and then you’d move to the next joint and go to solder that. And the heat from the solder would return to the previous joint and cause it to pop. I’m thinking, why did he put students through that? And I look back on it, and it was all about building discipline. There was this kind of correlation between discipline and stick-to-it-ness and aspiration towards perfection that he 14 REFLEXION
was trying to convey through his surrogates (because he’d passed away by then). I came back to Salt Lake, and everybody was drafting and perfecting their hand lettering. You could go from table to table and identify who had drawn what based on their lettering. There is a real correlation between the hand and the work. There’s a correlation between understanding space and drawing with your hand, and some subliminal connection between the craft of drawing and the craft of building that is lost today. I think there’s no doubt that’s a loss. In the mid-80s, we were getting into stand-alone computers and a lot of the offices in Salt Lake, like Scott, Louis and Browning, and Edwards and Daniels, were investing in mainframes, very expensive computers, which were a big investment. Young firms, like ours, couldn’t afford a big mainframe, so we opted for desktop computers and worked with a local expert, beta testing a CAD software program for him. Then Autodesk came in and swept away most of the competition. As I was starting to teach at the U, there was this big debate: “Are we just letting go of analog and everything’s becoming digital?” Later, as director, I really felt that there was a balance, and that analog still had importance and relevance, especially in terms of spatial understanding. To this day, I can draw faster than anybody can input a design into a computer. You do quick sketches, formulate ideas with the client, and then, when they get more solidified, digitize them and start making changes. Visualization is phenomenal now; it’s hard to differentiate between a rendering and a photograph of a completed project. Any final thoughts? I think one of the most rewarding things for young architects, besides the association with clients over time, is mentoring others. There’s always a new group coming on right behind you. We always have that responsibility. Architecture is hard, and we talked about the maturation of the brain not being complete until age 35. We’re constantly learning. And then you get to a point where you’re forgetting while you’re learning. I suppose I was meant to be an architect — it just feels good, feels rewarding. I love the team-building, collaboration and sense of galvanizing a community around some concrete objective. It’s always rewarding to feel like you have some sort of legacy, but I’ve seen a lot of my projects demolished. So, be careful what you hang your hat on. It’s more about relationships. Those relationships can be as enduring as the bricks and mortar. 15
In 2027, NWL (Naylor Wentworth Lund) Architects will celebrate its 75th anniversary — a rare milestone that places the firm among Utah’s longest-standing architectural agencies. The firm originated in 1952 with founder Roy Richards Silver, whose initial focus was designing small rural elementary schools. His partnership with architect Dale Allsop strengthened the firm’s foothold in educational design early on. Everything changed when a young architect named Ken Naylor joined the team. As Naylor recalled in his AIA Legends interview: “I got a call from Roy Silver … he convinced me I didn’t want to be in the development world but needed to come work for him. There were maybe eight of us, including the two partners. I embraced Roy’s business philosophy: Pay people what they need to survive, and at the end of the year, give them a bonus beyond their expectations. That became a tenet of my practice throughout my career. In the mid-80s, Roy retired, and I continued the firm.” The firm’s identity was shaped in these early years to be steady, relationship-driven and grounded in trust. Christopher Lund A Firm Built on Relationships NWL’s current president, Chris Lund, AIA, describes Naylor as “a road warrior” who traveled the state cultivating relationships with school districts. Under the mentorship of Nebo School District Superintendent Joe Reedhead, Naylor began designing schools not for architectural self-expression, but for what districts actually needed. The result was a steady, organic expansion. By the 1990s, school districts were seeking out NWL, rather than the other way around. The firm gained recognition for its cost-efficient tilt-up concrete systems, which provided an economical and durable solution for public education facilities. Eventually, NWL worked with roughly 80% of Utah’s school districts, as well as clients throughout Idaho and Wyoming. During this period, Naylor recruited Ross Wentworth, who was then working at Granite School District. Wentworth brought invaluable insight into client expectations, strengthening NWL’s client-centered approach. “We still approach our work with the same philosophy,” Lund says. “Clients first. Always.” Eric Madsen Growth Through Mentorship and Opportunity Eric Madsen, AIA, a partner at NWL, believes much of the firm’s long-term stability stems from serving institutional clients and investing in long-standing relationships. “I remember doing interviews when I was a young architect and being scared to death, but we had to sink or swim,” he recalls. “We made a conscious effort to invite younger professionals to have those learning experiences. Watching them learn the process — including the struggles — strengthened the firm.” Chris Lund joined the firm in 1995 as its 17th employee. Over the next three decades, NWL grew gradually, one or two people at a time, until it experienced a major expansion between 2015 and 2019, driven by large school projects and three significant temples for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Today, the firm employs approximately 70 people. Learning From Global Work NWL’s relationship with the LDS Church began in 2003 with the Western Samoa Temple. Over the next 22 years, the firm worked internationally on temple projects in dozens of countries. “You can’t have an ego with this client,” says Madsen. “You have to adapt. They are incredibly knowledgeable about construction across the world.” When the LDS Church shifted to working more with local international firms, NWL pivoted, forming strategic global partnerships rather than stepping away from international work. The firm now operates in a partnership with Portuguese firm LAT41, expanding into sectors such as healthcare, commercial and retail facilities. “Working internationally taught us not to impose American standards on foreign markets,” says Lund. “Flexibility is essential.” To date, NWL has worked across six continents and in 28 countries, building friendships, learning diverse techniques and strengthening its design versatility. A Mid-Sized Firm With a Small-Firm Ethos Despite growth, both Lund and Madsen insist that NWL still feels like a smaller firm culturally. The firm strives to maintain a positive work environment while prioritizing collaboration and looking out for its team members. NWL Architects A 75-Year Legacy of Relationships, Resilience and Design 16 REFLEXION
With size, however, has come financial complexity. “Developing administrative tools is its own design problem,” says Madsen. “You need just enough sophistication to be a viable business without abandoning who you are.” Lund adds with a laugh, “We’re a respectable medium-sized firm with the culture of a smaller firm.” Embracing Complex Institutional Work NWL’s core markets, including education, religious facilities and federal projects, have helped them weather economic downturns. Their long-standing relationship with the U.S. General Services Administration led to a landmark collaboration with Thomas Phifer and Partners on the Orrin G. Hatch United States Courthouse. Madsen describes the experience vividly: “Having a glass box in the desert is a bold and crazy thing to do. The fins perform beautifully. Working with Phifer was fascinating — iteration after iteration, passion and clarity of vision. He has a gift for persuasion.” Lund echoes that sentiment: “We don’t have a lot of hubris. Our clients are politically and ideologically diverse. Our job is to help make our clients’ vision better, even when their ideas seem a little crazy.” Philip Wentworth Leadership, Legacy and the Next Generation Philip Wentworth, Ross’s nephew, joined NWL in 1998 and became a partner in 2020. Today, he leads NWL’s educational work in northern Utah and is a key voice in the firm’s leadership. His path is emblematic of how the firm champions younger architects and helps them grow into leaders. Similarly, the firm’s St. George office, opened by Naylor 28 years ago, has become a powerhouse under the leadership of partner and office director Terance White. NWL is deeply trusted by districts across southern Utah’s rapidly growing communities. Notable projects outside of the educational market include the Dixie Convention Center, Santa Clara City Hall and Red Cliffs Temple. The most recent addition to the firm’s partners is Travis Naisbitt, who has contributed tremendous value over the course of his 21 years at NWL. His skills in production, management and mentoring have landed him the critical role of director of operations. Looking Forward As NWL approaches its 75th anniversary, the firm’s leaders remain focused on sustainable growth. They plan to continue expanding strategically within institutional markets while strengthening internal efficiencies. “We don’t want to overexpand,” says Lund. “Our goal is to mentor our young team, refine our systems and remain efficient.” Madsen summarizes their future direction succinctly: “Our biggest challenge has been adjusting to growth. We’re building financial and workload tools to help us see the future more clearly. Ultimately, we want to stay effective, strengthen our relationships, work as a team and deliver quality work.” Seventy-five years in, NWL’s story remains defined not by buildings, markets or awards, but by people, relationships and a commitment to serving clients with transparency, humility and purpose. Cyprus High School Lisbon Temple Layton Temple Red Cliffs Temple Liberty Elementary Career Tech High School Exterior Federal Courthouse 17
thenewslinkgroup.orgRkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTg3NDExNQ==