OFFICIAL ANNUAL PUBLICATION AND DIRECTORY OF AIA NORTHERN NEVADA ARCHITECTURE .23 SEARCHING FOR A SHARED VISION 400 South Wells Edge Residence Great Basin College — Health Sciences Building
Wideck® Roof and Floor Deck Ceiling Systems Cheyenne Botanic Gardens — Cheyenne, Wyoming Architect: The Design Studio, Inc. — Cheyenne, Wyoming Skydeck® SWA Solatube® 877-696-3742 epicmetals.com This LEED Platinum project features the broad-beamed architectural appearance of EPIC’s Super Wideck. Long spans can extend up to 58 feet while the Skydeck option brings natural light to the interior. An acoustic option controls interior noise.
6 President’s Message A Shared Vision By Angela Bigotti-Chavez, AIA, NCARB, President 7 A Message From New Managing Director Gitte Russo Designing a Great Future By Gitte Russo, Managing Director, American Institute of Architects, Northern Nevada 8 AIA Northern Nevada 2023 Board of Directors 10 2024 Incoming Quorum 11 Membership Message 12 2023 Year in Review — AIA National By Nathaniel Hudson, AIA, NOMA, NCARB, 2021-2023 National Director At-Large 15 2021-2024 Strategic Plan 16 The 33rd Annual Denny Askew Memorial Golf Tournament Wrap-Up 18 Allied Member Spotlights 20 Truckee Meadows Master Planning 22 The Integrator Design. Development. Construction. LET’S TALK ABOUT IT! 24 2023 AIA Northern Nevada Canstruction 27 Thank You, 2023 Sponsors! 28 YoDeNG 30 2023 Night at the Aces Wrap-Up 30 DICE Design Conference 31 2023 Awards Jury 32 AIA Northern Nevada Design Awards Party Recap 33 Congratulations to the 2023 AIA Nevada Award Winners 34 Merit Award Winner 400 South Wells 36 Merit Award Winner Great Basin College — Health Sciences Building 38 Merit Award Winner Edge Residence 40 AIA Submissions 53 Congratulations to the 2023 AIA Northern Nevada Scholarship Recipients 55 Allied Member Professionals 56 Allied Member Firms 57 AIA and Associate AIA Member Directory ©2023 AIANN | The newsLINK Group, LLC. All rights reserved. Northern Nevada Architecture is published annually by The newsLINK Group, LLC for the AIA Northern Nevada 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 AIANN, 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. Northern Nevada Architecture is a collective work, and as such, some articles are submitted by authors who are independent of the AIANN. While Northern Nevada Architecture 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. Editor Angela Bigotti-Chavez, AIA, NCARB Kristen Levin, Assoc. AIA Board Members Angela Bigotti-Chavez, AIA, NCARB Nate Hudson, AIA Marshall Cowan, AIA Brad Van Woert, AIA Daniela Moral, AIA Gary Williams, AIA Bradley Carlson, AIA Kristen Levin, Assoc. AIA Kreg Mebust, ASLA Colton Schaefer, P.E., S.E., Allied Member Paul VanderByl, Allied Member Managing Director Gitte Russo The Northern Nevada Architecture is a publication of the Northern Nevada Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. aiann.org AIA Northern Nevada 3495 Lakeside Dr., PMB 15 Reno, NV 89509 20 4 Northern Nevada Architecture .23
www.clarksullivan.com Clark/Sullivan Construction proudly supports AIA Northern Nevada and the incredible work of our regional Architects and Designers!
President’s Message A Shared Vision BY ANGELA BIGOTTI-CHAVEZ, AIA, NCARB, PRESIDENT, AIA NN If we Google “What does the American Institute of Architects do?” the answer is, “The AIA attempts to meet the needs and interests of the nation’s architects and the public by raising public awareness of the value of architecture and the importance of good design.” This is always a worthy endeavor that AIANN sets forth to address each year. 2023 was my second effort in participating on the Board of Directors, and my curiosity was the same as it was when I was on the Board in the 90s: “What can be done to make us a more active Chapter, emphasize the importance of good design, and bring members together to make a difference?” In 2023 AIANN Board of Directors chose to address where we’ve been and where we’d like to go. Over recent years, isolation kept us from being active. We navigated the massive shutdown during the COVID pandemic, recalibrated our social manners to keep our distance in order to stay well, and proved that we can survive in business and in life with minimal in-person contact. In March, we took on re-integrating. We conducted a Visioning Session emphasizing how coming back together face-to-face could help us unify. It became unanimous to reboot AIANN’s connection with each other by creating opportunities for members to rebuild camaraderie while also fostering relationships outside the Chapter to make a positive impact on the community. With that in mind, we initiated a new meeting series titled “The Integrator,” subtitled “Searching for a Shared Vision,” which brings the decisionmakers together with the design and construction industry. With only two events underway, we’ve succeeded in generating the interest and participation from our members and the local Agencies such as City of Reno, City of Sparks, and Truckee Meadows Regional Planning. A collaborative synergy is building, and through casual conversations, we are exchanging thoughts and solutions around “what’s next” for our community and how we can work together to remove obstacles in support of making our community even greater. Many thanks to all of you who have attended and joined the conversation; let’s keep that dialogue going! Alongside having new and returning members to the Board, we also welcomed our new Managing Director, Gitte Russo. Gitte is energetic and actively participates in our goals to connect with each other and with other associate organizations. This will certainly serve us down the road in extending our reach in the community. We are urging members to help support her initiatives to connect with many events and efforts to further network and integrate architects in the community. Watch for the emails and give her a call to let her know she has your support. TMCC’s ongoing journey toward an accredited Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture has many of our AIANN members actively involved as advisors and instructors. This program not only offers the next generation a local option to develop their careers in architecture, but it also grows the future labor force for our local firms. This is a monumental effort and AIANN is committed to supporting TMCC in achieving accreditation. Anything we can do individually will collectively go a long way to benefit the future of our architectural community. Thank you for the opportunity to serve another term as President of our Chapter! We are on a roll, and I extend a sincere appreciation to all our Board of Directors, Committee Chairs, Volunteers and Members for everything they contributed to making 2023 a success! We want to see the momentum build and hope to hear from everyone in 2024 for ideas, feedback, and participation. If you are interested in joining the AIANN efforts as a Board member or Committee Volunteer, please contact us! Angela Bigotti-Chavez, AIA, NCARB We want to see the momentum build and hope to hear from everyone in 2024 for ideas, feedback, and participation. 6 Northern Nevada Architecture .23
A Message From New Managing Director Gitte Russo Designing a Great Future Hello, Northern Nevada! I’d like to introduce myself as the new managing director of the organization — a newly created role designed to take AIANN to the next level. It’s been a very exciting and fast-paced year so far, where I have had the opportunity to meet so many of you and hear your thoughts and feelings about the AIA and our Northern Nevada component. My husband, daughter and I relocated here last year to be closer to family, and we are really enjoying this entire region. The natural beauty is astounding, and we are thrilled to learn the passion for the area and city is mutual among all residents we meet. Reno has a fabulous energy, and it is heartening that so many of you care so deeply about its growth, change, design, livability and built environment. Previously through my consulting firm, Urban Admin, I supported several large organizations as an administrative consultant, focusing on association and executive management for professional organizations, nonprofits and boards of directors. I have supported and run offices, groups and events for the past 30 years, both domestically and internationally, and I feel that my biggest asset is concept-to-reality project execution through bringing voices and Through a common vision, we can have stronger momentum to affect future change in Northern Nevada and make it an even greater place to live. ideas together to create something larger. My passion and experience have always been — and continue to be — in land use policy, local urban civic development policy and good design. The potential for this region to grow and change is a challenge for us all, and as architects, interior designers, landscapers, contractors, developers, city decisionmakers, urban planners and space-makers, it’s thrilling to see folks attend and participate in our many civic and networking events we, as a group, produce to encourage conversation about how to do things and build a community that serves all residents. Through a common vision, we can have stronger momentum to affect future change in Northern Nevada and make it an even greater place to live. Where do we want to go? How do we want to do it? Let’s talk about it. Our goal this next year is to engage, exchange and discuss what it is we as a community want to address in our neighborhoods, housing, downtown, buildings, industrial developments, suburban areas, art and our collective places. I am looking forward to meeting more of you and hearing your thoughts and feelings about what you would like to see the AIA accomplish as a group. Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your managing director, and see you at our next event! Gitte Russo, Managing Director, AIA NN aiann.org 7
AIA Northern Nevada Board of Directors Pictured left to right: Carlos Hernandez, Executive Director AIA Nevada & Las Vegas; Kristen Levin, Publication Director; Paul Vanderbyl, Allied Members Director; Shannon Ferguson, Social Media Director; Deysi Montes-Castill, Education Director; Colton Schafer, Allied Professionals Director; Gitte Russo, Managing Director; Daniela Moral, Secretary & Emerging Professionals Director; Gary Williams, Director; Brad Van Woert, Treasurer; Marshall Cowen, Senior Director; Nate Hudson, President Elect & Scholarship Director; Angela Bigotti-Chavez, President Not Pictured: Kreg Mebust, Education Director 2023 8 Northern Nevada Architecture .23
aiann.org 9
2024 Incoming Quorum Pictured right to left: Angela Bigotti-Chavez Past-President; Nate Hudson, President & Scholarship Director; Marshall Cowan, Senior Director; Brad Van Woert, Treasurer; Gary Williams, Director; Daniela Moral, Secretary & Emerging Professionals Director THINKING OF BECOMING A MEMBER? VISIT OUR WEBSITE AIANN.ORG FOR APPLICATIONS AND MORE INFORMATION. 10 Northern Nevada Architecture .23
Membership Message Membership in the American Institute of Architects is an opportunity to be a part of a group that represents a force for positive change. The AIA offers a way to belong to a group of like-minded professionals through associateship, integration and camaraderie. We let our clients, community and peers know about our commitment to the profession, design excellence and a particular code of ethics. AIA Northern Nevada remains committed to its ability to influence and respond to the current needs of our community. The power to assist our local decisionmakers, agencies responding to new challenges and our clients as they continue to help our community make positive changes lies squarely with organizations like AIANN and the involvement of its members. Architects, in particular, are knowledgeable and creative. As members, it is important that we stay engaged and use technology to stay connected now and through 2024. Continuing to join each other both in-person and virtually will perpetuate our dialogue, keep us present with new ideas to current problems and continue to affect positive responses to ongoing concerns. We have the opportunity to influence sustainability, new design measures in response to the pandemic, changes to planning and zoning requirements and good design in general. Our Allied Members add great value through their support of AIA. Suppliers, contractors, engineers and design professionals contribute significantly to our organization. Their contributions are essential to architects and keeping design and management at their best. The value of design depends on the most current trends in products, innovation and construction practices. Past, present and future architects must stay involved to make the most of AIA. We need all generations to play a part in the AIA. Thank you to all of the members who have and still are contributing to leading and the young architects who are sharing their energy and insights. Staying involved and growing our membership and those willing to step into leadership positions keeps the momentum moving forward. Reach out to the board of directors, participate on committees, initiate group dialogue and be a voice for AIANN’s future! aiann.org 11
2023 Year in Review — AIA National BY NATHANIEL HUDSON, AIA, NOMA, NCARB, 2021-2023 NATIONAL DIRECTOR AT-LARGE Membership At the close of 2022, the AIA was pleased to report that membership numbers broke 96,000 and included a record for new member recruitment! By the Annual Business Meeting in San Francisco in June of 2023, we continued to climb, hitting 96,710 members and 3,300 fellows in 205 international chapters. While membership is strong, the AIA is also deeply dedicated to work that helps us represent a more diverse membership — one that accurately reflects our profession and society where they are. While we continue to have a great deal of work ahead of us on this, our mid-year 2023 reports show 26% female and 17% underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, which reflect some sizable steps in the right direction from where we were only a few years ago. As one of our organization’s operational priorities for 2023, we are looking to expand and deepen member and volunteer engagement. In an effort to help with this, we are reevaluating our membership categories and looking at membership titling as well as overall membership costs specifically related to attendance within the National Business Meeting and 12 Northern Nevada Architecture .23
Conference on Architecture. This evaluation began with engagement efforts in the early summer and will continue through the end of the year. The Board will be updated toward the end of this year and will present the findings at the Annual Business Meeting in June 2024. Events 2023 marked substantial changes for a number of the events held by AIA National. First, we held our newly titled “AIA Leadership Summit and Lobby Day” in place of what was formerly referred to as Grassroots. This pivot aims to focus the event on the volunteer leaders who attend and offers a day of Capitol Hill visits. In 2023, 634 attendees participated in 32 sessions and 425 congressional visits and experienced some amazing networking opportunities! For Hill Day, our leaders, with the help of AIA’s Government Advocacy team, championed H.R. 5291, The Democracy in Design Act, and H.R. 5689, The Resilient AMERICA Act. During this event, our organization also doubled its contribution to ArchiPac! The Conference on Architecture, A’23, in San Francisco was also a success. In an effort to improve effectiveness, the AIA formally terminated our long-standing contract with the concessioner who had been managing the conference for us. While some elements were still managed by the concessioner for A’23, the AIA’s internal team took back and managed some sizable elements with noticeable improvement from previous years. 2024 will mark the first in many years that the event will be managed entirely internally. We certainly experienced a few hiccups during this change; however, the overall review of the event was overly positive, and for the first time in many years, our core sponsors for 2024 were sold before the end of the 2023 event! A lesser-known but very important event called the CACE Annual Meeting was held in Atlanta, GA, this year. CACE is the Council of Architectural Component Executives, a group made up of the organization’s Chapter Executive Directors. Over 140 members met for two and a half days in conjunction with the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Annual Meeting. 2023 also marks the end of a national knowledge event titled “Knowledge Leadership Assembly (KLA).” Historically, this event was held in person and organized by the Board Knowledge Committee in an effort to bring together the leadership of our 21 Knowledge Communities (KCs). The KLAs served as opportunities for sharing between KCs as well as offering time for KCs to plan for the subsequent year’s efforts. PostCOVID events have been virtual and have struggled to meet the former objectives. Nate Hudson, AIA Northern Nevada, was honored to chair the Board Knowledge Committee and emcee its final event. While substantial efforts were made to meet our former objectives in this latest virtual meeting, and despite our attendees’ positive feedback, we feel that inperson opportunities will be far more successful in sharing and conveying knowledge within our organization and beyond. Last but not least, the AIA Women’s Leadership Summit (WLS) was a complete success. The single-fastest-growing event in the AIA found itself sold out over a month before the event. This inperson event drew almost 900 attendees. Impressively, the AIA is already planning for an audience of double the size in 2024. This year, attendees heard from Melodie Yashar (TED Talk on how to build for human life on Mars) and Aurora James, activist and author of Wildflower: A Memoir. AIA Building Renewal Update One of the most monumental projects underway by the AIA in 2023 is its own building renovation. Our headquarters building — located at 1735 New York Avenue in Washington, D.C. and originally designed as an un-insulated, concrete and glass brutalist structure — has undergone decades of use and served generations of our membership. In recent years, the degrading systems and obsolete programming have forced our organization to do as we say and to lead through action! I’m proud to report that, with the help of our architecture and design team led by EHDD of San Francisco, our own headquarters will be one of the first fully decarbonized major buildings in the United States and will exceed the AIA 2030 Commitment for fossil-fuel use! This is being achieved by a full renovation that focuses on energy efficiency and alternative energy. We have also donated a half million dollars to Habitat for Humanity to provide solar installations for 80 homes in the D.C., Virginia and northeast Tennessee areas to help offset the embodied carbon present in the building’s existing design. In addition to reprogramming the workplaces of almost 200 employees, another important design element is the new plaza and its approach, redesigned to create an open, welcoming, active, indoor-outdoor usable space. The adjacent and historic Octagon House (originally the AIA headquarters, now managed by the Architects Foundation) is not included in this project’s aiann.org 13
scope, but for the first time in this building’s long history (built in 1799), it will now have a permanent, accessible entry leading into this important piece of the Washington Mall. The AIA has now secured permits through the D.C. governmental agencies, concluded negotiations with Turner Construction (the selected general contractor for this project), and has formally begun construction. We are currently on budget and within a schedule on track for an anticipated occupation in Spring 2025. Current Partnerships and Campaigns Beginning in late 2022 and continuing through 2023, AIA formed a partnership with CBS and Executive Producer Mike Chapman to work on a prime-time television series devoted to AIA members’ architecture, titled America ByDesign. During the first season, EVP/CEO Lakisha Ann Woods, CAE, made a brief appearance, but for the second season, AIA has played a significant role in this six-part series. Season two began in midAugust 2023 and is available on the CBS Streaming Network, all CBS News mobile apps and on the ByDesign website. Within the organization, AIA has also begun a video campaign celebrating women and their contributions to the profession and their communities. Weekly, the 60-second video series titled “Future Focused” has been a strong success in the amplification of amazing work propagated by female architects as well as their leadership, mentorship and vision for the future. AIA is working in conjunction with allied organizations as well. In 2023, AIA applauded NCARB’s decision to eliminate the rolling clock requirement for candidates seeking licensure. Internally, we launched the “Stop the Clock” campaign and encouraged members to share their stories regarding the undue difficulties of gaining licensure to help garner tremendous support for NCARB’s effort. Member’s Voice Task Force 2023 marks the end of a two-year national member research initiative called the Member’s Voice Task Force (MVTF). Task Force Chair Jessica Sheridan presented her final report of the task force to the Board of Directors earlier this year. This included a recap of the robust research and listening sessions that took place to examine the effectiveness of the communications between components, Strategic Council and the Board of Directors at a high level and make recommendations to increase governance transparency, accountability and communication. A version of this report will be available during the 2024 Annual Business Meeting With the momentum created at the national level through the array of efforts above, our organization is as healthy as it has ever been and primed to have another very productive year in 2024. Nathaniel Hudson, AIA, NOMA, NCARB 2021-2023 National Director At-Large | American Institute of Architects, Board of Directors Principal | FormGrey Studio, Reno, NV Specializing in Industrial and Commercial Projects 10597 Double R Blvd Reno, NV 89521 P: 775.852.2337 Electrical & Fire Protection Engineers ENGINEERING JP 14 Northern Nevada Architecture .23
NORTHERN 2021-2024 Strategic Plan NEVADA Educate: Advance knowledge and expertise that bring the transformative power of architecture to the built environment. • Youth Scholarships — Hellmann, Erskine, Licata cultivate applicants • Career Fairs — Washoe County, Carson City, Incline, K-12 • TMCC Support — Open House Speakers Bureau – How can TMCC draw speakers and assistance from outside Reno? • TMCC BArch Program Advocacy • Kreg’s position will be open at TMCC • Job Shadowing, Mentoring/Intern Program, Portfolio Review, Studio Critiques, Part Time Instruction at TMCC, High School Outreach, Architects in the Classroom, Black Rock Design, AIAS/AIA Joint Involvement/Student Design Build Project, Urban Redesign Team • Alumni Assoc. engagement • Government engagement support • Architecture Week (April) Advocate: Advocate for the Profession by championing the architect’s role in designing a better community. • Communicate what architects do, and the value of AIA membership • Government — establish relationships with regional planners, citizen architects, outreach/educate community stakeholders, foster relationships, invite Council Members to events • Housing — Member watchdogs to cities/counties, Affordable Housing Specialists in the membership (is a specialties directory allowed by national by-laws) • Sustainability — USGBC, Allied Professionals, Climate Action • Client Education — Identify audience (Government) • Social Justice and Equity — Create a committee and tear down barriers if any. Page on the website? • Historic Preservation • WMR Dissolution Impacts Engage: Elevate public awareness of the value of architects and architecture to our community. • Go back to basics • Increase member engagement • Quarterly luncheons use time for board sharing and CEUs • Build relationships with Allied and Allied Professional — Attendance, communication needs of architects to Allieds, committee engagement, technical resource to member architects • Freely give out our Strategic Plan at events • Pandemic/Economic support to members • Lecture Series — Black Rock, Brain Food Series TMCC, what are members outreach for topics? • Small Firm Exchange • Networking — Parties, sports, meetings, EDAWN, NCET, YoDeNG • Board and event outreach — email, Mailchimp • Yearly publication • Professional Resources — ARE Library, Document Bank • Annual Golf Tournament • CANstruction • Awards — encourage applicants, revise the jury process and potential jurors • Dues structures Committees: The teams that implement the strategic plan. • Education Committee — Educating our future and keeping us up to date • Membership Committee — Finding out what matters to you • Sustainability — Keeping out environment clean and building a better future • Advocacy — Being your voice in the community • Publication — Spreading the word on what we do • Events — Keeping us on par for social events aiann.org 15
The 33rd Annual Denny Askew Memorial Golf Tournament Wrap-Up A BIG THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! Title Sponsor CORE Construction Ball Sponsor Basalite Concrete products Driving Range Sponsor Sierra Pacific Windows Hole-in-One Sponsor Wikoff Design Studio, LLC Breakfast Sponsor Silver State Masonry Lunch Sponsor Gilbane Building Company Beverage Cart Sponsor Plenium Builders Associate Sponsors Clark/Sullivan Construction Cumming Devcon Construction Etchemendy Engineering, Inc. HB Workplaces Helix Electric JK Architecture Kahl Commercial Interiors Kodiak Roofing & Waterproofing Co. O’Hagin Teknion On Aug. 14, 2023, AIA Northern Nevada hosted the 33rd Annual Denny Askew Memorial Golf Tournament. Attendees enjoyed an amazing day at the beautiful Montreux Golf Course. Proceeds from the tournament support the AIA Northern Nevada Scholarship Programs to assist local students attending architecture school as well as various other educational programs. With generous support this year, we exceeded our fundraising goals once again. 16 Northern Nevada Architecture .23
aiann.org 17
Allied Member Spotlights Colton Schaefer, PE/SE Senior Structural Engineer JK Architecture Engineering For the past 13 years in Reno, Colton has lived, learned, worked and played in Northern Nevada and the Greater Tahoe Region. He initially moved to the area to attend the University of Nevada, Reno, visit family often in Sacramento and Truckee and conduct training with the U.S. Navy in Fallon. After achieving his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Civil Engineering, he has been a practicing Structural Engineer (SE) for the state of Nevada for several years. Although Colton is no longer spending time onboard an aircraft carrier at sea, he currently enjoys taking care of his newborn daughter, traveling with his wife, skiing and snowboarding around Lake Tahoe and cycling around town. Colton is currently on the board for AIANN as the Allied Professional Director. He is a consistent allied member not only to attend all the exciting events but also to remain connected to the progress the American Institute of Architects has made and continues to provide to the local community. Paul VanderByl CMU Structural Sales Manager Basalite Concrete Products, LLC — Nevada Paul has lived in Northern Nevada for the past 28 years, coming from the Los Angeles area. He started his career in 1980 working for a Masonry Material Yard. He worked as an Operations Manager overseeing two yards before relocating to Northern Nevada in 1996. Paul has been employed by Basalite Concrete Products, LLC for the past 27 years. Currently, Paul is the Structural Sales Manager and oversees all CMU projects. Paul has been married for 37 years to his wife, Shelley, and has two daughters, Madison and Zoe. Paul enjoys golfing, skiing, snowboarding, spending time with his four grandsons, riding motorcycles and just enjoying indoor and outdoor activities with them. Paul has been serving on the AIANN board as the Allied Director for the past four years. He is excited to work with architects who are very creative and knowledgeable and who stay close and connected in sharing new ideas, innovation and new products. He feels it is a privilege and an honor to serve on the board with exceptional design professionals. 18 Northern Nevada Architecture .23
Some of the early settlers of the fertile Truckee Meadows included the pioneer rancher Peleg Brown — who introduced alfalfa farming to the area in 1857, the prospectors seeking their wealth in the mining rush of 1859 and all the influx of new people and growth that the 1863 transcontinental railroad brought that led to the establishment of Reno in 1868. Reno and the surrounding area kept growing, and with gambling being legalized in 1931, it showed no signs of stopping. Today, the area is still experiencing growth. In February 2023, renowned economist Christopher Thornberg, Ph.D., stated, “The Reno area continues to enjoy one of the best economies in the nation, with the technology corridor continuing to expand into the Reno area and attracting record venture capital, rising incomes and substantial tourism numbers — all indicators point to continued growth.” With all of the projected growth in our community, protecting our natural surroundings is of the utmost importance. Nature plays an intrinsic role in the health of Nevada’s cities. For Reno, Sparks and surrounding communities, the forests and the Truckee River are crucial to quality of life. The Truckee River watershed supports the area’s booming economy, provides clean drinking water to a rapidly growing population, bolsters a thriving business community and gives both locals and visitors a place to get outside, explore and connect with nature. This is where thoughtful urban planning and well-thought-out master plans come into play. In planning for population growth, factors like identifying transportation patterns, recognizing food supply demands, allocating social services and healthcare and analyzing the impact of land use are necessary. They lay the foundation for thriving cities and communities and create long-term solutions of harmony and balance between the built and natural environment. In addition to the factors previously listed, the water supply should be a top priority. The Truckee River is the main source of water — originating at Lake Tahoe and traveling 121 miles through the Reno-Sparks area and eventually emptying into Pyramid Lake. The Truckee River supplies most of the drinking water for the Reno area, and the Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) does a great job of delivering high-quality drinking water to approximately 450,000 residents every day. Truckee Meadows Master Planning 20 Northern Nevada Architecture .23
Operationally, this requires the TMWA to have 380 pressure regulator stations, 118 booster pump stations, 95 water tanks and five treatment plants to meet peak customer water demand and fire-flow requirements. In addition, TMWA relies on 86 groundwater wells to meet peak summer water demands and provide resiliency during droughts. Additionally, the City of Reno and Washoe County are focused on making the Truckee River a world-class destination where tourists and residents alike can enjoy recreation and so much more. In March 2023, through the American Rescue Plan Act, $3 million was received to invest in the Truckee River and adjacent land. Currently, the city and county are seeking a cohesive plan for the Truckee River as well as an implementation and financing plan to help guide current and future investments in this area. Knowing that, and adding to the fact that the City of Sparks, Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Agency, our University and Community College, EDAWN and more have invested time and effort into their own individual master plans, how do we ensure that we are sharing the same vision? And, are the goals of the individual community aligned with the overall goals that will protect and contribute to the health of the area? These questions are ones that AIANN are asking. In efforts to make sure that the area grows to accommodate expanding populations while protecting the beautiful landscape and especially the Truckee River, all interested parties are encouraged to attend The Integrator meetings. For more information, see pages 22-23 aiann.org 21
The Integrator Design. Development. Construction. LET’S TALK ABOUT IT! As we continue to emerge from the pandemic, the AIANN 2023 Board of Directors made it a primary goal to focus on encouraging member interaction and participation in the growth and change planned for our community. From this focus, The Integrator series was launched in May to meet regularly, start casual conversations, share ideas and express concerns as we talk about our region’s future built environment. The Integrator, set up as a Forum series, fosters interaction between architects, engineers, designers, contractors, developers and key decision-makers. The goal is to consistently come together to become a unified voice and resource advocating for positive change. We arranged the event to provide a venue of collaboration, comradery, insight, creative discourse and, most importantly, a place to generate relationships. Searching for a Shared Vision Several agencies make up the voices of change in the Truckee Meadows, including the city of Reno, the city of Sparks, Washoe County, Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Agency, our University and Community College, EDAWN and many more. With all the governing bodies, how can we come together in search of a shared vision? With only two Integrators hosted, we are seeing a clear headway to becoming a resource to our community decisionmakers. Stakeholders from our local agencies are open, curious and interactive in these discussions. They are attending to both shed light on the challenges and priorities that need attention and listen to ideas and collective suggestions. From development along the river to satellite entertainment districts, downtown revitalization and trends affecting the places we create, our chapter is now host to one of the most dynamic dialogues that can impact the soul and spirit of our region. Crafting a Collaborative Plan for the Future To date, the dialogue has raised interest in a diversity of spaces and places that will attract and support a diverse and meaningful quality of life and value in our community. We’ve discussed the responsibilities that each agency has toward policies, data gathering and master plans. We are pushing the conversation beyond regulations, and 22 Northern Nevada Architecture .23
the consensus is quickly targeted around defining a vision that articulates how to commit to the quality of character, identity and connectivity in all new projects to increase vitality and prosperity in the areas of placemaking, innovation, business attraction, the arts and entertainment. Reno and Future Trends Reno has been known as “America’s Adventure Place” for over 15 years, after being recognized as the “Biggest Little City in the World” for decades. We have four seasons of impressive events and entertainment, close proximity to hiking, biking and skiing, an arts and culture community that has been notably enriched over the past few decades, and we have an impressive whitewater kayak park in the middle of our downtown. And, in the serene setting of Sierra Nevada, we have the natural treasure of the Truckee River running through the center of the city. Our decision-makers always bring to light the issues and matters that they are presented. We can stay in conversation, collaborate with them and present viable concepts and solutions for consideration. We can also support the agencies in those quality masterplan ideas that are meant to address what they see as important. Our downtown and redevelopment zones and new areas of the community continue to need the voice of architects to help the community evolve, with placemaking and aesthetics as an important part of a bigger vision. One that becomes unified between agencies, as well. Through the Integrator series, this is an opportunity to give back to our community. Outside Magazine deemed Reno as the “Happiest Place to Live in the U.S.,” which is a remarkable status. Based on facts and figures, their assessment was made based on outdoor access, affordability, a safe environment, diversity and freedom for residents to be who they are. The article notes that we were once recognized for having legalized gambling and being the place for a quick divorce. Our Biggest Little City in the World is now hyped and enjoyed by those who value large public land access, a mountain feel, bike parks, walking and biking trails, live music events and a relatively strong arts and culture scene. With the spirit of place also being the built environment, let’s bring more architecture, landscape architecture and worthwhile destinations across our valley to the forefront of our future. AIANN is excited that our local agencies are interested in what architects have to say. They are participating in our Integrator series meetings and welcoming the inquiry and insight. Our hope is that this effort is met with strong participation from our members and a collaboration that brings us all together as a unified voice to make a difference. Interested in knowing more? Encouraged to share your ideas? Contact aiann@aiann.org or any of the Board of Directors. We’d love to hear from you! aiann.org 23
2023 AIA Northern Nevada Green beans, sweet corn, tomatoes, oh my! With 15 teams descending on Meadowood Mall in Reno on May 3, over 31,000 pounds (29,551 cans) of non-perishable food were freed from their cardboard carton prisons to become displays of art in AIANN’s 20th annual Canstruction® Reno event. From 8 am to 8 pm, operating like mimes trapped in a 10’x10’x10’ box, these teams methodically positioned cans piece by piece as their creative art rose from the tiled floor. Seven of those teams were student teams, grades six and up, who were keeping pace with the design professional and construction teams building structures next to them in an effort to help bring awareness to growing food insecurities in the community through imagination and creativity. Able to withstand gravity’s intentions, and four days later, the structures were decanstructed with the equivalent of over 26,000 meals being ferried off and donated to the Food Bank of Northern Nevada (FBNN) for distribution to those in need. Most Cans: Snoopy and Woodstock, Mountain View Montessori Structural Ingenuity: Giving Hunger the Boot!, Henriksen Butler/One Studio D+A/ClarkSullivan Construction 24 Northern Nevada Architecture .23
Congratulations to This Year’s Winners! Best Meal: Stone Mother, Natchez Elementary Team Pookoo Best Use of Labels and People’s Choice Award: Time and Relative Dimension in Space – “TARDIS the Superhero,” AT&T Silver State Pioneers & VC Silver Circuits FTC Team #16158 Best Original Design: Sink Hunger, Sky Ranch Middle School Orange & Blue Teams aiann.org 25
Thank You to All the Other Participants! Sage Ridge School Brycon Construction Plenium Builders Natchez Elementary Cathexes Food Bank of Northern Nevada Board of Directors Food Bank of Northern Nevada Staff Sierra Nevada Job Corp Nevada Rural Housing Authority The structures were judged and awarded in five different categories, in addition to a People’s Choice award that wrapped up the event. Awards were given based on various factors related to how the teams used and assembled the cans. People’s Choice voting ($1 per vote) also resulted in an additional $1,442 from the Reno community, which allowed FBNN to purchase even more meals for those in need. The AIANN Canstruction committee members and the Food Bank of Northern Nevada are grateful to all who participated and were able to make this year’s event a huge success. Thank you! May 1, 2024, will be Reno’s 21st Canstruction® event, and it is just around the corner. Keep an eye on your inbox for information leading up to the event if you’re interested in participating ... You CAN do it! 26 Northern Nevada Architecture .23
Thank You, 2023 Sponsors! AIA Northern Nevada appreciates your continued support. Your involvement in our efforts have made our design community what it is today. To learn more about becoming an Allied Professional or Allied Member, please visit www.aiann.org. aiann.org 27
YoDeNG The Young Designers Networking Group, or “YoDeNG,” is the official AIANN committee geared toward helping the next generation of architects as they embark on this wonderful and rewarding career. Our goal is simple: to assist new and inspiring design professionals in fulfilling their career goals. To achieve this, YoDeNG helps members grow their professional network and provides resources to those who are still completing their licensure requirements by hosting fun yet meaningful events designed to help young architects form connections, share ideas and learn from one another, all while having fun at popular local establishments. Since its formation, YoDeNG has helped countless members as they transition from the academic world into the workplace. Because architecture requires individuals from multiple disciplines to collaborate in every phase of a project — from schematic design to construction administration — we have expanded our networking activities in recent years to include not only young architects but also engineers, contractors and other design professionals in the Northern Nevada area. 2023 was a great year for YoDeNG! We held several fun events, such as a mixer at Playfield 76, an awesome bar that has a wide array of arcade games, plus delicious drinks and food! The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive. Specifically, members mentioned they enjoyed having so much fun with their peers, in addition to gaining valuable insight from more experienced members who were eager to mentor those at the start of their careers! For the upcoming year, we plan to continue our highly popular mixers and add additional opportunities for younger members to receive mentoring from more experienced professionals. If you are interested in networking, finding study partners or just want to grab some drinks and talk about your exciting life as a design professional, we invite you to join us! Stay tuned to learn when and where our upcoming events will take place! For more information, follow us on the AIANN website, Facebook and Instagram page. Contact Daniela Moral at dmoral@worthgroup.com or the AIANN at aiann@aiann.org with any questions. 28 Northern Nevada Architecture .23
aiann.org 29
2023 Night at the Aces Wrap-Up The annual AIANN Night at the Aces was held on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. Attendees enjoyed delicious food at the private patio party while watching the Aces take on the Salt Lake Bees. Thank you to our sponsors! Sierra Pacific Windows American Insurance Miyamoto Spray-Lock/CalCo Vs. 30 Northern Nevada Architecture .23
2023 Awards Jury Tania Salgado, Chair Handprint Architecture, Denver, CO Tania is an award-winning architect with a master’s degree in architecture from the University of New Mexico and is licensed in both Colorado and New Mexico. She is active in her community and profession, having held leadership positions with the American Institute of Architects (AIA), including Denver’s President on the Board of Directors. She is currently serving on Denver’s Lower Downtown Design Review Board (LDDRB) and sits on the Society of College and University Planning (SCUP) Regional Council. In 2013, she was awarded the Medal of Achievement, the highest individual honor recognized by AIA Denver. In addition, she was awarded the AIA National Young Architect of the Year award after receiving this from both Denver and the Western Mountain Region AIA Chapters. With over 19 years of experience, her projects include a variety of private and public buildings, as well as educational facilities and institutions. Her leadership in programming and planning with small and large client groups provides a clear vision, delivering quality projects through design and construction. Tania’s fluency in Spanish enhances her ability to communicate effectively at public presentations and fund-raising events. John Kane Architekton, Tempe, AZ John is one of the founding partners of Architekton. Architekton designs a wide range of public facilities, commercial buildings, community spaces and educational and public safety facilities. They believe in impactful design that reflects the values of their clients, the creativity of their team and the beauty of the context, high-performing teams to solve complex problems elegantly, and sharing their passion for design that makes a positive impact on the community. They see their firm as a part of a greater whole, embedded in and connected with their community, the Sonoran Desert and the planet. They believe there is a responsibility to be good stewards and to lead by example. Sustainability is not a passing fad but a commitment to a way of life. Eric Strain assemblageSTUDIO, Las Vegas, NV Eric Strain founded his Las Vegas architecture firm, assemblageSTUDIO, on April Fool’s Day in 1997. assemblageSTUDIO was formed with one basic principle — Quality over Quantity. Their goal is to do selective and quality projects where everyone maintains hands-on involvement throughout the project. They desire to remain small with a limited number of projects to ensure continuous involvement. This commitment is the cornerstone of their practice. In spite of the glitz and glamour of the city, the architectural design firm was established in the “Silence of the ‘Other Side,’” as per Eric. Having won many prestigious awards with their design creations, the firm has made its name in the international scenario. aiann.org 31
AIA Northern Nevada Design Awards Party Recap The AIA Northern Nevada Design Awards Party was held on Oct. 18, 2023, at the Brewers Cabinet. Attendees enjoyed networking, good food and lots of fun as they celebrated each other’s accomplishments. A big thanks to Plenium Builders for sponsoring the event. 32 Northern Nevada Architecture .23
Honor Awards Palladio Interior Architecture — Built Daniel Joseph Chenin, Ltd. CAMPout Residential Architecture – Built Faulkner Architects Lake Tahoe Cabins Residential Architecture — Built RO | ROCKETT DESIGN Honorable Mention Heart of Campus — UNLV Unbuilt Architecture Aptus Merit Awards Edge Residence Residential Architecture — Built Hawkins & Associates, Inc. The Beverly Theater Institutional Architecture — Built Carpenter Sellers Del Gatto Architects Stage Cue: A New Gateway to the Las Vegas Arts District Academic Project Andrya Mojena Cutié Global Community High School Institutional Architecture — Built assemblageSTUDIO, Simpson Coulter Studio Collaborated 400 South Wells Commercial Architecture — Built FormGrey Studio LLC The Garrison Interior Architecture — Built Stantec Sustainable Design Excellence El Centro Residential Architecture — Built FormGrey Studio LLC Congratulations to the 2023 AIA Nevada Award Winners! aiann.org 33
400 South Wells Project Description 400 S. Wells is a design-build-develop partnership for the adaptive reuse of a 59-year-old, mid-century building located in a neighborhood that has struggled with vacancies in recent years. With careful consideration in bringing programmatic resiliency to the building, openings were cut to fit new overhead glass doors on the south façade and roughly 800 square feet of second story floor was sawcut and removed for a much livelier atmosphere with double height and well-lit spaces. While very little of the interior could be saved except the original stairs, new interior walls were kept to a minimum, allowing passive cross ventilation through each of the spaces. All of this offers functional and cultural relevance to a beautiful mid-century design while reimagining how people use the workspace in today’s society. History 400 S. Wells was designed by a locally known mid-century architect and built by the region’s local hospital. With the former use for this building as a medical office, the architect envisioned a mixeduse future incorporating professional office, restaurant/retail, as well as a research and development shop on the ground floor, accessed by a new service ramp. While the building’s zoning allowed these uses, it could not meet existing parking standards if its use were changed. This left many buildings underutilized, vacant and blighted. In an effort to utilize existing non-compliant structures, the architect volunteered on the City of Reno Technical Advisory Group to help overhaul the antiquated standards of the zoning code. Fabrication Having the architect assume the roles of fabricator and partner in development provided a seamless transition from design to conception, greatly reducing the time of coordination and cost of construction. The custom-fabricated floating shelves at 400 S. Wells replaced the need for a guard railing on the second level of the space. The clean detailing creates a light profile and the appearance of delicate construction, allowing unobstructed views of the split-level entry below. While subcontractors were present, there was not a clean line separating the construction activities of subcontractors and the architect. The architect either assisted or entirely fabricated kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, decks, doors, trim, lighting and furniture. Emotional Wellbeing 400 S. Wells inspires a workplace of fluidity and collaboration. The office operates around a single communal workstation fabricated in-house. The intent of this was to help remove hierarchical stigmas among the people operating within the business and encourage communication as everyone — including principals — works together at the same desk. Other amenities on the studio floor include a conference room, full kitchen and multiple indoor and outdoor gathering spaces. Below the studio on the ground floor is the architect’s 3,500 square-foot research and development space that houses a CNC-equipped wood and metal shop for fabrication of architectural assemblies, furniture, models, prototypes and art. While this space is acoustically separate from the rest of the building, its double height volume couples programmatically with the studio upstairs. ARCHITECT: FORMGREY STUDIO | CATEGORY: COMMERCIAL | LOCATION: RENO, NV 34 Northern Nevada Architecture .23
www.thenewslinkgroup.orgRkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTg3NDExNQ==