PUB 3 2022-2023 ISSUE 1 OIKOS Sparano + Mooney Architecture MID-VALLEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Method Studio WHITE LIMO The Measure of Grace CACHE COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS Blalock & Partners EMIGRATION CREEK Sparano + Mooney Architecture
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4 REFLEXION | 2022-23 | AIA Utah Ref lexion is a publication of the Utah Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. www.aia.org/utah AIA Utah 280 S 400 W, Suite 150 Salt Lake City, Utah 84101 President Robert Pinon, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP President-Elect Jessica Hoffman, AIA, NCARB Secretary Jared Anzures, AIA Treasurer Roger Phillips, AIA Editor Frances Pruyn, CPSM Staff: Michael Smith, CAE Executive Director Jennifer MacGillvray Staff ©2022 AIA UT | The newsLINK Group, LLC. All rights reserved. Reflexion is published quarterly by The newsLINK Group, LLC for AIA UT 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 UT, 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 UT. While AIA UT 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. CONTENTS Executive Director’s Message.....................................................6 2022 AIA Utah Design Awards....................................................7 2022 AIA Utah Fall Conference...............................................18 2022 AIA Utah Conference Keynote Speaker Recap.............19 Interviews with Local Legends: Max Smith........................... 20 Interviews with Local Legends: Fred Babcock.......................24 Incorporating Electrical Elements in Innovative Design....... 28 The Role of Daylighting in Architecture and Human Wellness..................................................................... 30 Thank You Sponsors and Allied Members..............................33 Why Individual Efforts Matter in Sustainability.....................34
6 REFLEXION | 2022-23 | AIA Utah Why Be a Member of AIA? I am often asked what benefits will I receive for being a member of AIA? An investment in an AIA membership is an investment in yourself. When you’re an AIA Utah member, it’s easier than ever to connect with fellow professionals and enhance your skill set. Belonging to your professional association, AIA gives you access to networking and mentoring opportunities. You also get access to timely, cutting-edge educational opportunities, certifications, and seminars to broaden your knowledge. All of these are important for growth in your professional career as you perfect your craft. If you’re a member of AIA Utah but didn’t attend any of the 2022 events or make any new connections, it’s time to make a change. Commit now to engage in 2023 and take advantage of some of the benefits and opportunities AIA Utah offers its members. Everyone in the Utah architectural community is busy with work as well as the usual busyness of life. Still, if you follow these tips, you can leverage your career and discover new opportunities in 2023: 1. AIA Designation helps you to stand out in the competitive architectural profession; having AIA behind your name lets clients know about your commitment to the profession. The AIA designation brings additional professional credibility to clients. Clients will see you as a professional who is serious about professional development and perfecting your craft. 2.Professional Development through various channels and on multiple topics to meet your specific continuing education needs. AIA and AIA Utah offer various opportunities to become a better architect by attending in-person seminars, conferences, and training. There is also a multitude of virtual training provided by the association and industry vendor partners. 3.Practice Management Tools and Resources provide reliable, up-to-date, and consistent information related to architectural best practices and research, business practice and ownership, contract documents, and policy and practice aids to help manage risk. 4.Career resources to help you build your dream career. Membership offers opportunities to participate in NCARB’s Architectural Experience Program (AXP) and earn experience hours, peer networks with study opportunities and support preparing for the Architect Registration Exam (ARE) with study guides, test prep, and scholarships. Job seekers have access to resume evaluation through the AIA career center as well as access to local, regional, and national jobs. 5.Advocacy for Architecture. AIA is the voice of architecture to policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels. As an AIA member, you can use your voice to advocate for the architectural profession. You can engage your legislators and use AIA tools and resources to develop your advocacy skills. If you are passionate about building communities, sustainability, equality, and the economy, now is the time to get involved. 6.Leadership opportunities to build leadership skills, understand how the institute works, and interact with leaders in the architecture profession, AIA, and universities. Training and summits like the annual Grassroots Leadership and Advocacy Event, the Women’s Leadership Summit, and the AIA Leadership Academy are designed to empower architects with the capacity to lead. Additional local leadership opportunities exist within AIA Utah committees and task forces, as well as opportunities with national committees and knowledge communities. 7. AIA Benefits and discounts are available for certain products and services through your membership. Discount codes can only be acquired while logged in at www.aia.org as a member. 8.The AIA Community helps you connect with over 95,000 architects and design professionals on a local and national level. You can associate with other professionals who share a common interest through AIA’s 21 Knowledge Communities, The Center for Communities by Design, Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team Program, and the Sustainable Design Assessment Team Program. Each of these communities or programs provides value to the architecture profession and demonstrates our commitment to community-led quality design. Discover what you are passionate about. Getting involved with AIA will introduce you to people who are different from you but share the same passion for architecture. You’ll be able to network with others who can introduce you to a wider circle of professionals. It’s like a stone thrown into water – the ripples continue to spread! Make a goal now for 2023 to plug into AIA and AIA Utah to maximize your membership benefits. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE BY MICHAEL SMITH, CAE
7 2022 DESIGN AWARDS Design | Strategy | Vision
8 REFLEXION | 2022-23 | AIA Utah Located along the Wasatch Fault in a quiet suburban neighborhood in Salt Lake City, this home explores the natural and human-made relationship. The home is on the east bench of the Wasatch mountain range near the University of Utah, and two prominent natural features immediately inspired the team as design opportunities. The first, Emigration Creek, is located directly to the east of the property, ingratiating the site with the sound of running water throughout the year and becoming stronger in the spring during the run-off season. The organization of the home on the site was established to capture the sound and view of the creek through an “L” scheme configuration. The home opens up to the east to embrace an auditory connection with the natural, and careful studies established the use of vertical and horizontal sun shading for maximum seasonal solar efficiency. Additionally, the client had a keen interest in designing the home so that it would not only withstand but also remain largely intact, should a seismic event ever occur. Careful analysis of the Wasatch Fault — the second natural feature to help shape the design of this home — revealed that the site is actually located very close to, or directly above, the fault line itself. A clear shift in the volume delineating the public and private spaces along this axis was integrated into the home to acknowledge this force of nature. The structural design of the home was elevated to the same category as a school or Emigration Creek Sparano + Mooney Architecture AIA UTAH 2022 HONOR AWARD
9 hospital so it could function as a safe haven for this family. Further to being an embodiment of these forces of nature, the residence also serves as an evolving gallery for displaying a prominent art collection. Existing site conditions oriented the home along an axis that was derived using existing site conditions including vegetation, sound and light. How different measures for design excellence (Integration, Community, Ecology, Water, Economy, Energy, Wellness, Resources, Change, Discovery) were integrated into the project’s design objectives: Sustainable and ecological design goals were part of the planning, site development, program placement, material selection and evaluation, and selection of building systems. Climate-specific passive strategies were implemented during the conceptual design, schematic design and site planning, design development, construction documents and construction phases of the project. The site plan was developed to optimize passive solar and the building envelope with an R30 wall assembly with spray foam providing additional insulation. There is a thermally broken high-performance window system with a U-factor of .29. This home incorporates a ground source heat pump system for radiant heating/cooling. The predicted EUI for this project, including onsite renewable energy contribution, is 8.7 kBTU/sf/yr to meet the 70% target based on Architecture 2030 goals. The home includes an 8 KW solar array on the roof with two Tesla storage batteries tied into the panels. The project involved an innovative process of deconstructive demolition of an existing structure. This process was a way to reuse and recycle the materials on the site to divert these items from the landfill. The house on the site had stone cladding reused in the landscape, and 100% of the framing from the existing home was used in the new framing of the home. The remaining materials not used in construction and were part of the deconstructive demolition process were sorted and recycled for future use in other construction projects. Project Team: Architect — Sparano + Mooney Architecture Structural Engineer — Wright Engineers Interior Designer — Natasha Wallis Design Builder — Living Home Construction Landscaping — Earthology Single-family Residential Completed 12/07/2020 2 Stories, Floor Area – 4500, Site Area – 14810
10 REFLEXION | 2022-23 | AIA Utah This home is sited at the edge of downtown with spectacular panoramic views overlooking Salt Lake City. The passive design takes full advantage of the solar path and captures dramatic views, including the Wasatch mountain range to the east and valley and urban views to the south and west, with city lights creating a sparkling horizontal field below at night. The design team explored ideas of western mountain architecture and its materiality, history, proportions and form. The foundation of the home emerges from its steeply-sloped site with a textural, board-formed concrete plinth with exaggerated joints incorporated to create coarse vertical fins. The street elevation is a refined minimalist form detached from its textural foundation through a 12” recessed reveal detail that makes the home appear to float above the site. The main level volume is clad with shop-fabricated, large-format natural limestone panels hung with a clip system on a framework. A recycled, aluminum-clad, dual-purpose wood floor sheathing system was used to accommodate both the energy-efficient radiant floor heating system and structural shear. These innovative building technologies significantly decreased dead load design requirements, allowing for simple framing methodologies, conserved cost, and helped minimize construction waste. The home interior was designed by the architects and lighting designer to celebrate the views with a material palette of stone, wood and bronze. The interiors include an international photography collection, a glimpse of which can be seen from the street. Passing through the screened entry, Atta Kim’s image of Fifth Avenue greets the arriving visitor, who is also welcomed by a bubbling water feature framed above by a dramatic oval oculus. How different measures for design excellence (Integration, Community, Ecology, Water, Economy, Energy, Wellness, Resources, Change, Discovery) were integrated into the project’s design objectives: Ecological stewardship was integral to the design and technical requirements of this residence. A continuous overhang along the South façade for the main and lower levels provides protection from the summer sun and allows the winter sun to warm the space. All primary spaces are oriented along the view corridor to the South, allowing the East and West facades to contain no openings, creating an uninterrupted high-efficiency wall assembly (R-35) to protect against the Western sun. A continuous vegetated strip is incorporated between the home and patio to create a passive cooling thermal barrier at the exterior envelope. The home was designed to meet LEED-H (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Homes) standards. In addition to the passive design strategies, high-efficiency mechanical equipment is utilized. The predicted EUI in kBtu/sf/yr excluding on-site renewable energy contribution is 17.8 kBtu/sf/yr, a 50% reduction from baseline. The project incorporates a robust active solar system, including an 11KW solar panel array on the roof to power the home. Project Team: Architect — Sparano + Mooney Architecture Structural Engineer — Wright Engineers Landscape Architect — Design Workshop Helius Lighting — Lighting Designer Builder — Bailey General Contractors Landscaping — Earthology Water Design, Inc. — Aquatics Designer Single-family Residential Completed 06/15/2020 2 Stories, Floor Area – 5500, Site Area – 13099 Oikos Sparano + Mooney Architecture AIA UTAH 2022 MERIT AWARD
11 AIA UTAH 2022 MERIT AWARD Cache County Public Works Blalock & Partners This project represents a new era for Cache County Public Works. The division and the County desired a new, more dignified and functionally efficient facility that represented more of a civic stature for Public Works as a critical resource in supporting the County’s residents. The administration building is the public face of the complex and seeks to respect the existing natural context while also representing the machine-like qualities of the work performed on the campus: large vehicle maintenance; snow plow repair; heavy-duty vehicle fueling island; large vehicle storage; sand, salt and brine storage. The architectural massing is broken into two primary volumes: the front, public volume rises to the west, greeting visitors as it announces the public entry. The rear volume rises to the east, nodding toward the mountains and proportionating to the larger open spaces below. Each of these forms is wrapped in different materials as well. The front volume is clad in charcoal slate, whose natural material grounds the building and ties it to its natural setting. The rear volume, reflecting more of the technical and “nuts and bolts” aspect of the facility’s work setting, incorporates sheets of expanded aluminum siding. At approximately 33” wide, these sheets have three treatments: non-perforated; light perforation, and medium perforation. The openings in the expanded metal sheets and the perforations create lightness and texture in contrast to the darker & heavier slate cladding. How different measures for design excellence (Integration, Community, Ecology, Water, Economy, Energy, Wellness, Resources, Change, Discovery) were integrated into the project’s design objectives: Integration — The building forms, massing and materials used specifically relate the building back to the site and its surrounding rugged landscape. The contrasting metal cladding relates to the occupants’ day-to-day activities: working on heavy vehicles, maintaining dump trucks and snow plows, welding benches and guardrails, etc. Community — The project’s primary purpose is to provide a facility that allows the County to better and more efficiently respond to community needs, especially in emergencies. Water — The project incorporates low-water-use fixtures and relies on bio-native grasses and plantings to create a natural, low-water consumption landscape. Wellness — This project achieves a light-filled workplace, safe and acoustically supported for day-to-day office activities. Interior/exterior connectivity was a primary driver with the architecture, and the design team created covered outdoor terrace spaces to support the County’s regular team-building activities. Economy — The building’s two masses maximized the cladding products selected. The slate was installed to maximize the yield of dimensional slate cladding to minimize waste and create an efficient installation. Similarly, the expanded aluminum cladding was installed with exposed fasteners using the manufacturer’s standard 33” wide panel. This panel width dictated window sizes and became an expressed module at the exterior. Between the slate and expanded metal, the exterior cladding had less than 3% waste. Energy — The expanded and perforated metal cladding is utilized on the south, east and west facades and pulls away from the conditioned spaces to provide shaded zones for exterior use and shading strategies for the building envelope to reduce cooling demands. The open and perforated cladding allows for dappled light, texture and lightness while still providing views and a connection with the exterior. Project Team: Architect — Blalock & Partners Engineer — Civil, JUB / AWA Landscape Architect — G Brown Associates Engineer Structural — BHB Engineer Mechanical & Plumbing — VBFA Engineer Electrical — BNA General Contractor, Lundahl Commercial Completed 06/15/2021 One Story, Floor Area – 10,500, Site Area – 74,900
12 REFLEXION | 2022-23 | AIA Utah The Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center, located in Taylorsville, Utah, primarily serves the Central and West communities of Salt Lake County. This multi-use performing arts regional cultural center fulfills a critical need identified in the County’s Cultural Facilities Master Plan. The project was completed in March 2021 at the cost of $39,047,981. The project has been designed for a broad spectrum of organizations and uses, including theater, children’s theater, dance, music performances and rehearsals, visual arts classes and exhibitions. Key spaces include a 440-seat proscenium theater, 250-seat studio theater and a combination rehearsal/multi-purpose room. Additional amenities include pre/ post-function spaces, a grand lobby, ticketing, concessions, dressing and wardrobe rooms, off-stage restrooms, green rooms, loading, scene prep, costumes, lighting, and sound equipment storage. How different measures for design excellence (Integration, Community, Ecology, Water, Economy, Energy, Wellness, Resources, Change, Discovery) were integrated into the project’s design objectives: One of the primary objectives of the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center is to provide equity in cultural arts experiences and offerings to communities that have been marginalized and have had less exposure and opportunity than other parts of the Salt Lake Valley. The facility is located directly in these communities, so patrons of the arts no longer need to travel long distances or to communities with drastically different socio-economic levels where they might feel they don’t belong. The facility amenities match, if not exceed, any other facility in the state and offer an opportunity for the highest arts experience possible. This facility was designed for inclusion and diversity for both patrons and performers. The project’s core mission is to keep rental rates low and give local community arts groups priority access. Rental rates have been minimized by providing a well-thought-out building design that is easy to operate with a multi-purpose opportunities for arts groups. For example, with a push of a button, a small group of venue operators can raise and lower the orchestra pit lift. One day a community opera group could be holding the final performance of their run, and the next day the stage could be reconfigured for a dance group to start rehearsal. In addition to affordable rental rates shared by all, the venue operator has given local arts groups first priority and further reduced special rental rates; after local performers have had their opportunity AIA UTAH 2022 MERIT AWARD Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center Method Studio to book the venue, it is opened to the greater community and touring presenters. The MV-PAC is also a place for community engagement and gatherings. The building amenities not only afford quality performing arts experience but also allow the community to connect and engage in a variety of ways. One of the first events held in the building was a conference for the Utah Chapter of the American Planners Association, where hundreds of APA members came together and used the proscenium theater as a lecture hall, the lobby as an exhibit space and the rehearsal room as a break out work session space, this facility helped that conference to gather and achieve their goal of “Creating Great Communities for All” in a space that was designed and constructed for that very reason. The MV-PAC was designed concurrently and also engages the adjacent Taylorsville City park. They share many outdoor amenities that further expand community gathering opportunities. For example, the APA conference mentioned above utilized the park’s food truck access and infrastructure to help feed conference members. Other shared amenities include parking, security, landscaping, walking paths and green space, and art sculptures on both properties, to name a few. Project Team: Architect — Method Studio General Contractors / Construction Manager — Jacobsen Engineer Structural — Reaveley Engineers & Associates Engineer Civil — Great Basin Engineer – MEP Mechanical, VBFA Engineer, MEP Electrical, Spectrum Engineers Theatrical Consultant – The Shalleck Collaborative Acoustical Consultant — JaffeHolden and Associates Landscape — Loft Six Four Owner Rep, Construction Control Corporation Hospitality/Resort/Amusement Completed 05/26/2021 Two Story, Floor Area – 69,000, Site Area – 6.5 acres
13 Real projects start with the industry standard Before they broke ground, HBG Design ensured the Guest House at Graceland™ Resort was protected with AIA contracts. AIA Contract Documents used: B103-Owner/Architect Agreement for a Complex Project, C401-Architect/Consultant Agreement, E201-Digital Data Protocol Exhibit, plus associated administrative G-forms. Learn more about the Guest House at Graceland Resort project at aiacontracts.org/aiachapter Photography ©Jeffrey Jacobs
14 REFLEXION | 2022-23 | AIA Utah As the submitting firm laid out the site, they intentionally oriented both buildings with the ground-floor retail engaging the street, inviting pedestrians to explore the area. The convex structure of the nine-story building designed by the submitting firm responds to the dynamic curve of the neighboring buildings. Envisioning new buildings that would resonate with the architecture of Salt Lake City from the most recent decades, the convex structure responds to the dynamic curve of the neighboring buildings, notably the Salt Lake City Public Library, which features a massive crescentshaped design, while the glass entry façade of the adjacent public safety building is more serpentine. The deeply recessed glazing at the base adds depth and visual weight, while the dark hues and chiseled forms of the upper floors resonate with the library and the adjacent public safety building. Views focus on the iconic structures of the area, including the state capital. The smaller five-story building’s L-shaped design, executed by other architects, navigates an existing structure. It includes a ground-floor business incubator space below three floors of co-working and creative office space and micro-units introducing innovative design to maximize living space while offering affordability. Both buildings consist of a clean precast panel relating directly to the color and texture of the library, tying to one another and the established neighborhood. Residences range from one- to three-bedroom apartments, inherently strengthening the downtown area by adding a mix of people that may include young professionals and families. The mixed-income residential apartment units vary in size from 523 to 1,282 square feet. The inflow of residents means an engaged morning-to-evening environment, an enlivened street and a base of customers to support local dining and retail. Community amenities include a fitness center, pet spa and bark park, clubroom, conference room, courtyard on the podium and a community garden. Sustainability Sustainability is a driver of the vision for the new development. Together with targeting Enterprise Green Communities and Energy Star Multifamily High-Rise (MFHR) Certification, the design studio recommended alternative framing and construction types, including Infinity Structures’ light gauge load-bearing stud system that allows for two additional floors of apartments, increasing density. Custom-fabricated threedimensional glass fiber reinforced concrete panels allow for complex and atypical details. Project Team: Owner/Developer — Domain Companies | Giv Group Architect/Designer — KTGY Landscape Architect — Duane Border Design Civil Engineer — AWA Engineering Interior Designer — Farouki Farouki Engineer-Structural — Fortis Structural LLC Engineer-MEP — PVE, Inc. Energy Modeling — Brummitt Energy Associates, Inc. General Contractor — Wadman Corporation AIA UTAH 2022 URBAN DESIGN HONOR AWARD AVIA Domain Companies | Giv Group Completed 08/01/2021 Site Area – 63,080
15 This design proposal places two tiny homes on an underutilized site in a highly desirable and increasingly unaffordable area. Located at 915 South 400 East, the site is approximately 4,462 square feet, just under the required minimum of 5,000 square feet for the zoned R/1-5,000 district. The “formal” proposed submission, WHITE LIMO, focuses on the front tiny home facing 400 East, while the rear home replaces an existing, vacant cottage. This project is planned for construction, pending approval by Salt Lake City Planning. Due to outdated city planning requirements, the site at 4,462 square feet is non-compliant with city zoning requirements. Further, the zoning ordinance only allows one residence per lot in this zoning district. The project proposes how two small homes can occupy a small lot to address a loss of affordable housing options within the city. WHITE LIMO is conceived as a home for a retired couple in their late 70s. Relying on a combined fixed income of $54,000, they are still healthy, living an active lifestyle of walking and biking, and desire a home closer to their two grandchildren. Similarly, the couple shares an electric car and would like to be near grocery stores, the public library, health care services, parks and cafés. Sustainability One of the key sustainable aspects of WHITE LIMO is its achievement of Net Zero Energy. A small (three-panel) photo-voltaic array on the roof of each residence provides 100% of the year-round energy needs, including a shared electric vehicle charging station for two vehicles (on an adjacent site). The PV array provides power to electric cooking, heating and cooling appliances, and there is no need for a natural gas connection. The rot- and insect-resistant Accoya product is FSC-certified lumber and is 100% nontoxic without biocides or harmful chemicals. The standing seam cladding is made of recycled steel and is 100% end-of-life recyclable. These products are part of a high-performance building envelope designed to reduce air infiltration and energy loss. The project incorporates several passive strategies as well. The west-facing primary façade consists of a deep overhang protecting from the south and summer sun. This overhang forms the “front porch,” creating an inviting place to sit and connect with the neighborhood. Operable windows are incorporated on all sides to provide fresh air and take advantage of morning and evening breezes. With a completely open floor plan, a high-volume, low-velocity ceiling fan moves air gently throughout the space, minimizing the need for active cooling. Ultimately, the project’s sustainability objectives are equally about providing a more responsible approach to the built environment and offering a dramatic reduction in utility expenses for the homeowner. Project Team: Owner/Developer — UrbanBlue Development Architect/Designer — Kevin Blalock AIA UTAH 2022 URBAN DESIGN MERIT AWARD White Limo, The Measure of Grace UrbanBlue Development Innovative + Novel Unbuilt Work Site Area – 4,462
16 REFLEXION | 2022-23 | AIA Utah The Rijeka/Opatija Eco-Village and Community Gardens lie on the abandoned site of Hotel Panorama. The project design creates both permanent and temporary residential spaces, community gatherings, events, learning spaces, and vast community gardens. Our project aims to revitalize the building and renew its program to become a vibrant, bustling center that allows the community to create deep and meaningful social connections, cultivate personal enrichment in a community context, and learn fundamental skills to participate responsibly in a sustainable society. The project is located between Rijeka and Opatija, Croatia. The climate in Rijeka, Croatia, is described as transitional Mediterranean. In this climate, winters are slightly colder, and summers are a bit rainier than in the Mediterranean climate. The coldest month of the year is January, and the warmest is August. The winter, from December to February, is quite mild. The summer, from June to August, is hot and sunny, with some afternoon thunderstorms and a few rainy days are more likely in June. Generally, the heat is not excessive, and the breeze blows from the sea. The program we have created for our project consists of three main parts: Community space, residential villas, and gardens. The built square footage totals roughly 38,000 square feet. Approximately 15,000 are villas, broken up into “temporary villas” — roughly 8,500 square feet, and “permanent villas” — roughly 6,500 square feet. The community spaces we have designed comprise approximately 20,000 square feet of the project. These spaces include a 1,000-square-foot library, 3,400-square-foot restaurant and bar, a 5,000-square-foot grand hall/large event space, a 2,100-square-foot market, and 1,200 square feet of classrooms, among others. The rest of the built square footage is made up of supporting spaces such as storage, mechanical rooms, etc. Project Team: Student — Sahar Assadi Team Member — Makenzee Johnson AIA UTAH 2022 STUDENT HONOR AWARD Rijeka/Opatija Eco-Village And Community Gardens Sahar Assadi
17 Motel Panorama, designed by architect Ivan Vitić, is situated near Rijeka in Croatia. The area where the motel is located offers great views of the Adriatic Sea and the adjacent hills. At present, the motel is abandoned and in a dilapidated condition. Motel Panorama is a great architectural example of a building from the Modernist era, listed as a cultural heritage site in 2015. Despite the level of deterioration, there is still a chance to revive the building and site. The location and the flexibility offered by the Modern floor plan provide substantial potential for its adaptive reuse into the “Panorama Hub.” Panorama Hub is a proposal to establish a platform to facilitate connection and interaction between tourists and locals by creating spaces for shared activities and living. Furthermore, Panorama Hub strives to incorporate resiliency by developing a close relationship with nature by utilizing passive design strategies, framing views, and minimizing overall ecological impact. Access to and from the site is facilitated through an interface with public transportation and a gondola providing direct access to the popular beaches on the Adriatic, which comprises a large cultural component of coastal Croatia. The site is in Croatia between the commercial city of Rijeka and the resort city of Opatija on a hill overlooking the Adriatic Sea. The Köppen Classification is Cfb (marine west coast climate); it is a temperate climate that experiences four seasons and receives an average of 61 inches of precipitation per year, falling consistently month-to-month. Panorama Hub has four occupancy types: A-2, A-3, E, and R-1. The four occupancy types were required to accommodate the diverse programming, ranging from residential to education spaces. The occupancy types are appropriately separated based on IBC 2018, and pertinent egress has been incorporated into each. Additionally, two building types are utilized with type II for the existing structure and type IV heavy timber for new additions. The existing building is 31,700 square feet and 23,200 square feet of new construction, with the primary components of the program consisting of classrooms, a library, gallery space, a restaurant, and a hostel. The organization of each program has been designed around flexibility with reconfigurable layouts utilizing movable partitions and furniture. Panorama Hub is designed to facilitate connection and interaction between people and nature. It respects the original architectural intent, utilizing low-impact, highly durable materials. Passive design strategies paired with innovative active systems allow for a complete EUI offset. A focus on circulation and accessibility allows for opportunities for users of any ability. The site is tightly linked with the surrounding urban and natural environments. Project Team: Student — Jaden Robertson Team Member — Aastha Shrestha AIA UTAH 2022 STUDENT MERIT AWARD Panorama Hub Jaden Robertson
18 REFLEXION | 2022-23 | AIA Utah The 2022 AIA Utah Fall Conference was held September 26-29. Attendees enjoyed many opportunities to network and learn about their craft. A big thanks to our keynote speakers and sponsors. We hope to see you at our next event. For more information, please visit www.aia.org. 2022 AIA Utah Fall Conference
19 Larry Scarpa, Brooks + Scarpa, was the opening keynote speaker for the Utah AIA Conference. Scarpa’s theme, “Make the Ordinary Extraordinary,” was illustrated by some of the many projects that have won him over 200 design awards. Frequently working with vendors, Larry uses conventional materials, like Dixie Cups, ping pong balls, industrial brooms, and cardboard tubes, to create fresh and memorable designs to spark curiosity and encourage people to engage with the space by touching the materials of the work. This leads to a lasting impression because once you have touched it, that feeling can be recalled by closing your eyes and focusing on the memory of the place. He creates buildings with an eye toward innovative processes and sustainable design strategies. 2022 AIA Utah Conference Keynote Speaker Recap Thomas Wong, of Ennead Design, the closing keynote speaker for the Utah AIA Conference, was a lead designer for the Utah Museum of Natural History. The closing day of the conference was hosted at the museum. After a tour of both the front and back of the house at the UMNH, Wong spoke about the challenges of “Civic-Minded Design in an Uncertain World.” How do you create within the context of global, environmental and societal issues? How can we extend design’s reach and use architecture as a public act to heal? Using the museum, the Edelman Fossil Park and Museum at Rowan University, and the Shanghai Astronomy Museums, Wong illustrated the exciting experiential architecture and positive social connections that come from marrying the program of the facility to its basic elemental surroundings.
20 REFLEXION | 2022-23 | AIA Utah When did you decide to become an architect? My mother died when I was young and let it be known she wanted me to be an engineer. Since I had very few opportunities to comply with her wishes, I started in engineering. The breakthrough day was inordinately hot; I was in an unairconditioned building, and there was a guy in front of the class with a giant slide rule attached to the ceiling who was telling us fledgling engineers how to use it. I must have dozed off because I got a blackboard eraser right between the eyes. I woke up quickly. He kind of apologized but said it was very irritating to have someone just fall asleep in his class. If I had no more interest in the program than that, maybe this wasn’t the place I belonged. I sat there for a few seconds. I thought, “You know, the guy’s right.” I got up, grabbed my books, and walked out past him. I said, “Thank you very much. You’ve changed the course of my life.” I was aware of where the Architecture Building was. I’d been toying around looking into it. I walked into the building; it was magic. I thought: I’m home. It was funky and disorganized, and there was a hall where there were projects up on the walls. Then As part of our ongoing series of interviews with architectural legends, we are proud to present this interview with long-time architect Max Smith. He was gracious with his time, and it is with great pleasure we present this interview. you went up a few stairs to the office. There was a lady there who was a legend. Her name was Johnnie Edwards, and she was the secretary and everything else. I introduced myself and said I thought I might be interested in going into architecture, but I wanted to talk to somebody about it. She said, “Well, you can talk to Roger Bailey.” So, I’m sitting across the desk from Roger Bailey, who had to be one of the most magical human beings on the face of the earth. He’s just this handsome, gray-haired, rugged Abe Lincoln kind of guy. We talked, and I walked out on cloud nine, and that was really the inception. Later, I found out what my mother meant by an engineer. It was an engineer on the railroad. So, I was on the wrong track to begin with. I decided if I’m really serious about this architecture thing, (since I’d wasted time in engineering), I didn’t want to be bouncing around forever trying to get an education. So, I thought with my high school mechanical drawing skills, I might have some value in an office. I knocked on just about every door in town, and I got a cold shoulder in a lot of places. I finally went to work for Stanley Evans, who had a little office on Fourth South over a coffee shop. I made my pitch to Stan. I said, “I just want this experience, and I’ll be happy to work for nothing until I become of value to you.” He looked at me like I was something that came in on his shoes and said, “If I pay you nothing, then you’re worth nothing. And I don’t need that.” Then he said, “Be here at 8:00 Monday morning.” I started architecture school. I was in the old five-year program. I took rather naturally to it. When I graduated in ‘67, a mentor on the faculty, Stephen McDonnel, had me working in his little office at his home out in Millcreek. The University of Utah hired a brilliant man from MIT, David Evans, who started a program called Computer Graphics. It was a cutting-edge program, one of the first in the nation. It fed off the MIT program and was well funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the Air Force — where the Internet was born. David Evans saw the significant application of computer graphics and architecture. So Stan worked it out in the architecture department and became the faculty member who headed up the joint research program between Computer Graphics and Architecture. Interviews with Local Legends Max Smith BY FRAN PRUYN
21 I went to work for him for 18 months. For those 18 months, I was hungry to get out and practice architecture because that’s what I really wanted to do. But I became a research assistant, and we did some pretty interesting stuff. We wrote papers for ARPA and worked hand in glove with the computer graphics people. The computer programs applicable to architecture were born. The dream then was to take this to the point where a man building a project could flip down the front of his bib overalls and see exactly what he was assembling and then flip it back up and do it because the thing would exist totally in the computer. We were so far from that. It took 30 years to get where we thought we were going in that research project. Next, I went to work for Edwards and Daniels, and I liked it a lot. I grew to know Ralph Edwards and kind of worked under the wing of Jud Daniels. There were a lot of interesting people in that office, and they were doing some really interesting work. I was there for close to three years. My wife and I bought an old house on Wall Street, which was just south of the Capitol Building, and I started remodeling it. There was a thing called the Women’s Architectural League, and they put our little Wall Street house on a home tour. A lot of people were coming through it, and people responded favorably. We structured the garden like a series of outdoor rooms, and that struck people because you didn’t see much of that in Salt Lake. All of a sudden, I started getting these opportunities to do gardens, and then I got involved in opening the house to the gardens, which lead to a small house remodel. There was a point where I got over my head in debt on the Wall Street house. I was working at Edwards and Daniels during the day, and at night, working on these little garden and remodel projects. One day it dawned on me I was billing a little more on my small projects by working weekends and nights than I was being paid at Edwards and Daniels. I was dealing with my debt on the Wall Street house rather handsomely, and I had more work than I could do. So, I resigned from E&D, and they were fabulous about it. By now, we’d sold the Wall Street house and bought a house that was designed by Kletting, the architect of the Capitol. So here we were in this ancient Kletting house on Paxton Place, and I had the whole basement. I sat down there and drew my little remodel projects and started taking the licensing exam. It took a couple of tries. A good friend from E&D days, John Huish, and I started a little, informal partnership, in a little building he had on Sixth Avenue and G Street. It was an old grocery store, and we started pumping out little houses. We moved into the bigger houses. We had a predominantly residential-based practice, and we’re doing a lot of work in Park City, which was becoming the ski place that it is today. Then, John went one way, I went another, and I opened a small practice with a colleague from E&D. We bought an old building on South State Street, right across from the City and County Building, called the Jenkins Saddlery. There was a small hotel above and the old saddle shop on the bottom. We continued to do houses, and then some bigger projects started coming in that fed off our work in Park City, including the first Kimball Arts Center, which was a modification of a large old gas station whose roots went back to stagecoach times. We moved from that building over to a wonderful old building off Exchange Place built during the First World War as a factory for fur-lined flight suits, although I think they never managed to build a flight suit there. I think the story was that they could never quite agree on anything. We started doing some work in Jackson Hole. That grew into a small satellite office, and I spent a lot of time there. We did a major resort that was housing-based: 385 individual housing sites on the west side of the Snake River near Teton Village. Through Steven Goldsmith, we were introduced to Artspace and became the architects for most of their buildings. They were a superb client. We spent a lot of time on affordable housing projects, and one of the last ones we did was the first affordable housing project that was net zero. What work brought you the most satisfaction? Clearly the affordable housing. I felt like I was doing something other than just fancy houses. We did a lot of fancy houses, over 400 of them. The firm still does wonderful houses for individual clients. Occasionally you found yourself in a situation where you had to finish a project that you didn’t believe in as much, but after all, it was the clients’ house. For the most part, we were able to do what we thought was good architecture. I had the good fortune of having colleagues who always put design as the primary mover in any project. Lots of things grew out of the house projects. One client acquired a company in Salt Lake City and was interested in remodeling a house. Before we even got the house drawn, he had moved to another house, and we started working on that. Subsequently, his company leased the David Keith Mansion on South Temple, and in 1986 there was a disastrous fire that pretty well incinerated the interior of the building. The mansion has an open central atrium, and the fire was a catastrophe because the heat immediately blew out the glass; it was like a chimney. No one was hurt, thank God. The morning after the fire, I was standing in the still-smoking ruins, and my client said, “It can’t be saved, but we’re insured, so you might as well try and fix it.” That was a great vote of confidence. It turned out to be the inception of a whole new world of architecture for our firm. We never intended to be in historical restoration. But the building was insured by Lloyd’s of London for mega dollars, and so we commenced. We structured the garden like a series of outdoor rooms, and that struck people because you didn’t see much of that in Salt Lake.
22 REFLEXION | 2022-23 | AIA Utah To watch the full interview, please scan this QR code: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK7FDZhECO0 I look back on that, how little we knew, and how unqualified we were to even begin to think about a project of this nature. I knew a young man, Tim Hoagland, who was an incredible craftsman contractor. Tim was so bright, and I was so dumb. He said, “Max, I think there’s such a thing as an architectural conservator. I have a good friend who is a conservator at the Museum of Natural History. Let’s give her a call and see what’s the next step.” How do you know what to do, with all of the beveled leaded glass, all the wood, not to mention the Tiffany offshoot dome melted and in fragments on the floor we were walking on? So, we called Ann and she gave us the name of the historical entity that oversaw most of the historical monuments in the Northeast. The head guy spent 45 minutes on the phone with Tim and me. He said, “If you’re willing, I will send our key conservator out.” He sent a gentleman named Tom Gentle, who was there within two days. In the meantime, we had gone through the building using Tom’s instructions. We isolated all of the hardware putting a gel on them; we sprayed gels on all the glass to stop the acidic soot from etching it. We were doing all the right things. We loaded all the pieces of glass from the dome into boxes. The dome was put back together by Willie Littig, a fabulous glass artist in Salt Lake, working under Tom’s direction. I could go on and on and on: the stories about the woods we found in Indiana at Stem Woods, a four-generation company; how we found flitches of flame mahogany veneers that were forged the same year the mansion was built. We succeeded. Lots of accolades. There was a wonderful party reintroducing Leucadia National to the mansion. We even got to take a bow; that was rewarding in ways other than dollars, but we were well paid, too. So maybe ten years later, the same damn thing happened to the Governor’s Mansion. Same thing right up through the middle. Mike Levitt was governor. And fortunately, Ian Cumming (Leucadia) went to bat for us with the state building board because we had no experience with them. The Salt Lake Tribune announced that “a nationally renowned architectural firm” has been put in place to restore it. I loved that. Nobody knew us outside Utah, although we did do some houses in Maine, and we did a house in the Puget Sound. But how do you like that? Nationally renowned! That led to the commission to do the Capitol with VCBO. Then Artspace started buying these historic warehouses; the historical component married to creating new spaces called adaptive reuse. Then we started doing adaptive reuse for private developers, and they were a blast. The wonderful team of Tim Lewis and Mike Martin — just creative guys — developers who were out there trying to figure out how to do something that could be more interesting to the people who were going to live there. We did a number of projects with them: the Dakota Lofts, and the J.G. Macdonald Chocolate Factory, now known as Broadway Lofts. What are the differences you see in practicing architecture in the late sixties, seventies and now? I’m not sure there’s a lot of difference. At least there wasn’t for us. But maybe, maybe we didn’t change when we should have. A friend and I had numerous conversations, and he brought me up to speed on how whole systems are in packages in the computer, and how architecture in his mind had become a matter of combining these things into a building. I guess the truth is, I missed that whole part. I was starting to see it come in, when I left the firm in 2008. Did you have any disappointments? Oh, there were some terribly disappointing buildings, and there are a few of them out there. I’m not going to identify them for the record because they are embarrassing. The unfortunate part of architecture is once you start riding that pony in one side of the stream, you got to ride it on through. We didn’t have anything ever fall and kill anybody. I’ll put that down to a bit of luck because we were out there stretching on occasion. One of the really positive things was dealing with the people I worked with. I think we were almost a family in a way. Sometimes there were people there who didn’t fit, so I can’t say everything was perfectly wonderful, but on balance, there are no regrets. Any advice you’d give to younger people starting out? Architecture is not something to love. It’s just a misuse of the word. But you can be, and should be, completely committed to it — but keep a balance. I lost sight of that balance a number of times. God love my wife; she went through those times with me, and we survived it. But it can really take a hold of you. I would advise anybody going into it today to keep a balanced life and develop some business acumen. I developed mine by making mistakes. There are ways to stretch your imagination and your muscles without taking inordinate risks. Any final thoughts for me? The profession can be a wonderful way to benefit humanity. And that’s what was so wonderful about Artspace. We always felt like we were really impacting the world in a positive way. Architecture is not something to love. It’s just a misuse of the word. But you can be, and should be, completely committed to it — but keep a balance.
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