I loved everything about living and working in Jackson Hole, and in 1971, I opened my firm. At the time, there were only two other architects in town; now, there are over 30. When I opened my office, I had one client, and 30 days after I opened, that client decided not to go forward with the project. So, I had a brand-new firm and no work. But I came up with another job fairly soon after; the rest is history. What is your favorite architectural style? If I had to put a name to the style, it would be Western rugged architecture. There’s a texture to the work I try to maintain. I work on contemporary buildings, but they have a texture to them. If there is one thing that we adhere to, it’s energy efficiency. That is a criterion of our work, and we’re known for that. Our buildings are very energy efficient. Building this way will pay for itself in energy savings in a reasonable period of time. And it’s worth doing. Which projects have been your favorites? My favorite type of project would be residential because you get so much satisfaction from designing a home for a couple or a family, especially when they get something they didn’t expect and love it. In total, I’ve designed over 200 houses. I designed a house for my wife, Carolyn — who passed away five years ago — it was the most energy-efficient house in Jackson Hole at the time. And I think it probably still is. It was built on an arc and has south- and north-facing windows that let the sun in and allow for beautiful views. There are big overhangs, protecting it so it doesn’t overheat in the summer as it is not air-conditioned. The design regulates the temperature inside quite well. A former client I designed a house for 30 years ago called me about a year ago and asked, “Bruce, are you still practicing?” I said, “Hell yes!” This client is a rancher who owns a property north of town. It’s probably the biggest privately held piece of property in the county. He let me know that he and his wife had thoroughly enjoyed their home and that they had some more work for me on other buildings on the ranch. He wanted a new shop, an employee housing unit, and to remodel another building. I was thrilled that he called me after all those years. About 20 years ago, I was preparing for a client interview on a Monday. It was the Saturday before, and I decided to go to the property to become familiar with it. As I was walking the property, a car pulled up. The guy exited his vehicle and said, “This is my property. What are you doing on it?” I replied, “I’m Bruce. You’re going to interview me on Monday to be your architect. I wanted to be familiar with your property before the interview.” He said on the spot, “You’re hired.” He was impressed that an architect would take the time to look up the property and become familiar with it before any work started. I ended up building a home for him and his family there, and it’s one of my favorites. In 1985, I designed the City Hall in Jackson Hole. I’ve always loved that building, and it functions beautifully. It has a clock tower you enter under to get into the building. The council chambers have a semicircular desk, so when the mayor and the council are sitting, they can see each other because it’s an arc. This was rather controversial when it was built, but ultimately, everybody loved it. I also designed a big building downtown across the street from the Wort Hotel. It was a big commercial building with an escalator — the only escalator ever in Jackson Hole. But the maintenance of that escalator was so overwhelming that they took it out. But it was fun while it was there. What career accomplishment are you proudest of? I’m a member of the College of Fellows, which is quite an honor. It’s a very lengthy process to apply. I was the first to become a Fellow in Wyoming; there are three of us now and a couple of others who are currently applying. There are a lot of different categories that you can apply to be a Fellow. My category was making the profession of architecture more available to the general public. I have started several nonprofits in Jackson Hole and am a member of several others. I was on the hospital board for four terms — an elected position. I am blessed to bring the profession to these nonprofit boards and get a certain amount of PR as a result. What advice would you give to a young architect? I encourage young architects to learn how to make their buildings energy-efficient. There are dozens of ways to do that, some of which are not very complicated. Next would be to design buildings that fit their environment. Don’t design a building for Jackson Hole that looks like it belongs in Newport or Los Angeles. Finally, be open, honest and straightforward. People appreciate that. 37
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