PUB 4 2023-2024 ISSUE 2 2023 Design Awards
Reflexion 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 Jessica Hoffman, AIA, NCARB President-Elect Chamonix Larsen, AIA Secretary Jared Anzures, AIA Treasurer Roger Phillips, AIA Editor Frances Pruyn, CPSM Staff: Angie Harris Roberts Executive Director Joe Mangum Programs & Office Manager ©2023 AIA Utah | The newsLINK Group, LLC. All rights reserved. Reflexion is published quarterly by The newsLINK Group, LLC for AIA Utah and is the official publication for this association. The information contained in this publication is intended to provide general information for review, consideration and education. The contents do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied on as such. If you need legal advice or assistance, it is strongly recommended that you contact an attorney as to your circumstances. The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the AIA Utah, its board of directors, or the publisher. Likewise, the appearance of advertisements within this publication does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of any product or service advertised. Reflexion is a collective work, and as such, some articles are submitted by authors who are independent of the AIA Utah. While AIA Utah encourages a first-print policy, in cases where this is not possible, every effort has been made to comply with any known reprint guidelines or restrictions. Content may not be reproduced or reprinted without prior written permission. For further information, please contact the publisher at 855.747.4003. 4 President’s Message Cheers to a Year of Dedication and Growth 5 Executive Director’s Message Convention Highlights 6 Member Spotlight: Libby Haslam, AIA, RIBA Owner, Studio Long Playing 8 Legends: David Brems, FAIA, LEED AP 13 Celebrating Success Our Inaugural TopGolf Event and Plans for the Future 14 AIA Utah Bronze Medal Recipient: Roger Jackson, FAIA 17 WordsFlow Makes It Easier for All of Us 2023 Design Awards 19 AIA Utah 2023 Honor Award Winner: Daybreak Library 20 AIA Utah 2023 Honor Award Winner: Mesa Arizona Temple Restoration 21 AIA Utah 2023 Merit Award Winner & AIA Utah 2023 Urban Design Honor Award – Built Work: Granary Campus Salt Lake 22 AIA Utah 2023 Urban Design Merit Award Winner: Park City Streetscape 23 AIA Utah 2023 Urban Design Merit Award Winner — Innovative + Novel Unbuilt Work: Post House 24 AIA Utah 2023 Student Honor Award Winner: Architecture of Abandonment 25 AIA Utah 2023 Student Merit Award Winner: Design to Heal 26 AIA Utah 2023 Student Merit Award Winner: Water Education Center CONTENTS Cover photo credit: Granary Campus Salt Lake 3
I am excited to see what the future holds for AIA Utah, and I am grateful to be a part of this organization. Cheers to a Year of Dedication and Growth JESSICA HOFFMAN, AIA, NCARB PRESIDENT, AIA UTAH PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to the many talented volunteers who have dedicated their time and energy to AIA Utah this year. Your commitment to our community, our built environment and the future of our profession is inspiring. I am particularly grateful for the efforts of the new AIA Utah Executive Administration team, who have stepped up to advocate for the refinement and growth of the Chapter. Their dedication and efforts have been essential in strengthening the organization after COVID and administrative transitions. Thanks to the hard work of our board and staff, AIA Utah has been able to create a solid foundation for future growth. We have put together meaningful events that have provided value to our members to enrich our knowledge and come together as a community. We have also made significant progress in refining our existing documents and procedures, ensuring that our organization remains a reliable source of connections and resources for our members. We continue to work to connect members locally and nationally. We have worked to collaborate on events and strengthen our relationships with the many design and knowledge communities in Utah and abroad. We have an active group that is involved with code adoption recommendations and works to be involved in the legislative process. These efforts will help us to advocate for the interests of our members and ensure that the voices of architects and designers are heard. Thanks to Chamonix Larsen for a wonderful conference this year, full of current and important topics and amazing building tours. Next year, AIA will thrive under her leadership with the help of the new Executive Board that was elected. These talented women will enhance AIA Utah’s history of leadership. While we have made significant progress this year, there is still much work to do. We need to continue to refine our board roles and budgets and find new ways to engage our members and attract new talent to our profession. I am proud of the work that we have done this year to stabilize the AIA Utah Chapter and am confident that we can continue to grow and develop our strategic goals with the help of our talented and dedicated members, board and staff. I am excited to see what the future holds for AIA Utah, and I am grateful to be a part of this organization. Thank you again for your dedication to AIA Utah. Jessica Hoffman, AIA, NCARB AIA Utah President 4 REFLEXION
There is a wealth of knowledge in our own backyard, and it is gratifying to bring members together so we can all benefit from it. AIA Utah’s annual conference, held September 26 and 27, was a success! Thanks to all who attended and to our President-Elect, Chamonix Larsen, for her vision and hard work in planning a concise and compelling slate of events. A true highlight was hearing from Carol Ross Barney, the 2023 American Institute of Architects Gold Medal recipient. Carol’s belief that excellent design is a right, not a privilege, is a message our community can learn from as we navigate the issues of economic growth, housing inequality and sustainable city planning. The annual conference and design awards are a great opportunity to network with colleagues, learn from industry experts (while completing seven LU’s) and celebrate the innovative excellence of peers. It was particularly compelling to hear feedback from attendees about the presentations done by local AIA members. There is a wealth of knowledge in our own backyard, and it is gratifying to bring members together so we can all benefit from it. Sitting in the back of the room and listening to the questions asked and the conversations flowing around me during breaks, I realized that AIA Utah members are concerned about good design that improves our lives and still want to address inequities in the profession and in our communities. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. The Astra Tower lecture by Emir Tursic included conversations around the design challenges of a 400-foot luxury apartment building that also seeks to address sensitive environmental issues specific to our region, such as air quality. Sarah Narjes, General Manager with Mortenson Construction, and Alan Matheson, Executive Director of Point of the Mountain Stand Land Authority, shared their experiences with large-scale developments and the impacts these projects have on cities, communities and individuals. Tough questions were asked by attendees, and results from other projects in the U.S. illustrated that large development can respond to environmental and social concerns. The fantastic panel discussion on strategies for hiring and retaining foreign talent was one of the most well-attended lectures. This, along with the queries we received after the conference, indicates that firms do have an interest in maintaining a diverse, talented pool of architects. Not because it is the “right” thing to do but because it has been good for their business. In addressing issues of climate change or hiring inequities, are we being political? Is the housing shortage or poor air quality a “left versus right” discussion? And, in discussing these issues, are we ignoring the importance of good design? Based on my first AIA Utah conference, I would say no. Construction spending in Utah is predicted to increase through 2024 and easily outpace spending nationally. AIA Utah members work at the leading edge of this industry and have the unique skill set to not only shape how our communities look but also how they can thrive in the midst of challenges unique to the intermountain west. AIA Utah is excited to support our members during this time by advocating for the profession and offering resources that help individuals advance professionally. We want our members to feel confident in envisioning a better future for all. As Carol Ross Barney stated when she received word about the Gold Medal award, “It’s a recognition that design matters everywhere. CTA stations, infrastructure, McDonald’s hamburger stands — everything needs responsible design.” Lastly, I’m excited to highlight Libby Haslam, AIA, RIBA in this issue for the latest in our Member Spotlight series on page 6. If you’d like to be featured in this section, please reach out to me at ahroberts@aiautah.org. Convention Highlights ANGIE HARRIS ROBERTS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AIA UTAH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE 5
Time is valuable; why AIA? For a long time, I was resistant to becoming an AIA member; it was hard for me to justify the cost of the membership to what I perceived I was getting out of it. In recent years, I have come to better understand the true value of AIA. Some of the benefits of AIA include AIA contracts that we use religiously at Studio LP; the small firm exchange run by Dwight Yee for networking; small business considerations such as insurance/investments; conferences and continuing education opportunities. I have also found that, as a small business owner, the American Institute of Architects provides a professional recognition that is globally respected. I am now on the national AIA Committee on Design for 2024 programming, including a COD trip to Brazil. Favorite Utah space: Tough question. I will stick with the Rose Establishment because I love to think of it formerly as a cow slaughtering house, followed by the lovely Bibliotect (architecture bookstore) and now the place where I run into colleagues every day while sipping on the most delicious London (Rose) fog. Favorite drink: A dirty martini, but I will take an old‑fashioned any day. Mantra: Those who know me know what it is. Libby Haslam, AIA, RIBA OWNER, STUDIO LONG PLAYING 6 REFLEXION
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BY FRAN PRUYN, CPSM LEGENDS David Brems, FAIA, LEED AP As part of our ongoing series of interviews with architectural legends, we are proud to present this interview with David Brems, Principal at GSBS Architects. It was a pleasure to interview him, and we hope you enjoy getting to know him as much as we did. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Why and when did you decide to be an architect? Growing up in Lehi, there were not a lot of architects. My father, working hard to raise his family, had a side job building houses. I was the oldest of five. He took me out on job sites and handed me a stack of odds and ends of lumber to entertain myself. It was fun to look at the houses that were being built, how they were laid out and how they were different from the house that I lived in. It just got my imagination going. I didn’t think a lot about it through high school, but I did well. In 1968, I got a scholarship to the University of Utah for 8 REFLEXION
tuition, fees and books. I entered electrical engineering because they had the beginnings of a computer program, but it was also an undergraduate degree to use to get into the Architectural Masters program. The Vietnam War was going on, so I decided my best option was to join the National Guard. After basic training, I came back and switched to psychology. I was anxious to get into architecture school, and that was the fastest way in. I started the graduate program in my last year as an undergraduate. The first time I really recognized that this was a good place for me was while taking Tom Kass’s Basic Design class. Tom had studied at Cooper Union and Yale and worked as an assistant to Joseph Albers. He saw something in me and recognized that I was sometimes working three jobs to put myself through school. He said, “Why don’t you come and help me teach basic design as my assistant? Forget those other jobs and stay on campus.” That was really encouraging. I will always be in debt to Tom. I also had the opportunity to learn from Bob and Anna Bliss. Bob was from MIT, and Anna was from Harvard. We had a number of faculty from Harvard. It was as good a graduate school in architecture, I think, as you could find in the United States at the time. I was also deeply inspired working with John Sugden. I can’t say enough great things about the school and how much I learned. My class was small — 15 students. In 1973, the Arab Oil Embargo put the whole world into recession. When we graduated in 1975, it was a really tough time, and there were few opportunities. Somehow, I was lucky enough to get a job working for Ian Cumming at Terracor. It had a small architecture office called the Environmental Design Group, where I worked with another mentor, David Rohovit. I finished my internship, became a licensed architect and moved to Edwards and Daniels. It was an honor and a privilege working with Ralph Edwards and Jud Daniels. Jud was leading the design work and had just finished the (old) downtown Salt Lake City Library and Cottonwood High School. After about seven years, I started my own firm. We won a number of Western Mountain Region and Utah AIA honor awards. Right next door to us was Ann Marie Boyden with et al advertising agency, and et al hosted the AIA office. I went through all of the offices of the Salt Lake Chapter and AIA Utah, working with Mike Stransky and Stephen Smith. Stephen and I were classmates and knew each other from school and had worked together at Edwards and Daniels. We’d have breakfast once a week at the Hotel Utah and talk about what we were doing, the profession and what the future looked like. We decided to merge our two small firms — David Brems + Associates and Gillies Stransky — together. Abe Gillies ran the office and put out quality documents while Mike got us through any door marketing the firm. I love to design, work in the office and work on projects with our clients. It wasn’t very long after we merged that we added Steve Smith and became Gillies Stransky Brems Smith (GSBS). Many firms fail, but this one was a marriage made in heaven. It was very successful from the beginning. We prospered and grew every year from that time. You are known for your work with environmentally responsible and sustainable architecture. I went to college in the late 1960s and early 70s. There was a lot of change happening in the world and the beginnings of an architectural movement that I was quick to embrace. I believed that I owed a lot of people a lot of things and that I had a duty to help change the world. In my world, that meant changing architecture from being a resourceconsumptive profession to one that was more environmentally responsible. We began designing passive solar homes and buildings that had natural ventilation and admitted lots of natural light, attempting to reduce the energy use of the buildings and make them more responsible. Talk about some of those projects. One of the very first projects was a double-envelope twin home I designed for a client in Emigration Canyon. When his partner fell out of the project, I bought into it and helped build the project. It was a lot of fun. It won an AIA Honor Award in Utah and a Western Mountain Region Honor Award. We started designing a number of other houses in Utah; I think they all won AIA awards. We did a base ski facility and worked on a hotel at Brian Head, Utah. They were great clients who propelled us forward and helped us gain distinction as a design firm. The design awards were helpful in being appointed to the AIA National Committee on Design. Being involved on a national level and making friends and working with national-caliber design architects introduced me to people that I wouldn’t ordinarily know. Utah Olympic Oval & Kearns Athlete Training and Event Center 9
I chaired the 2002 Olympic Sustainable Facilities Committee. When GSBS pursued the Speedskating Oval for the Olympics, we brought in ARUP from their New York and London offices. They were doing a lot of sustainable work. The day we interviewed for that project, Kevin Miller and I walked in and said, “We’re going to design the world’s fastest sheet of ice.” It was an interview like every other interview, and everybody on the other side of the table was going, “I can’t wait to hear THIS story.” By the time we’d finished, we talked about the environmental aspects of the project and how we would be able to control temperature, humidity and ice temperature. I think we enticed them. They thought there might be a chance to create the world’s fastest sheet of ice. Wouldn’t that be something to offer in the 2002 Olympics? We were awarded that project, and we did create the world’s fastest sheet of ice. The Oval was one of the first pilot LEED-certified buildings in the world, and 20+ years later, it’s still the world’s fastest sheet of ice. Talk about the structural system; that was a huge part of doing it right. Sometimes it’s recognizing other people’s great ideas. We initially designed a building that had the skin on the outside of the building. It enclosed a huge quantity of space. We were meeting one day and evaluating structural systems. This was a really great moment! One of the structural designs we were looking at was the cable system, where the structure was on the outside of the building. It was the most expensive structure; it was the most expressive structure. We were thinking, “We’ll never get this; we will never achieve this.” Our mechanical engineer from ARUP was paying really close attention and doing calculations of the volume of the space. He said, “If we put the skin on the inside of the structure, we reduce the volume of this building by about 50%. The mechanical system gets smaller, the electrical system gets smaller and the amount of energy to run the building is a lot less. I think will even out.” When we value-engineered that idea, we ended up with a lower-cost building with a more expressive structure that was able to achieve the world’s fastest ice. Share some of your favorite projects. To date, GSBS has completed nearly 40 LEED-certified buildings. Another really great project is the Salt Lake Public Safety Building. We had plenty of sustainability credentials to pursue that building. We also had really good law enforcement and public safety credentials, and that came together for us. That building is a LEED Platinum building. It is a net zero building. The community loves it, as well as the police and fire who are its occupants. Sometimes the stars align and everything comes together. I’m especially proud of putting together the team for the Museum of Natural History. Mike Stransky, through his involvement as an AIA Regional Director and national board member, was key. He knew many great architects in the country. He met Joe Fleisher, an architect from James Stewart Polshek’s office. We became great friends as firms. Joe did a peer review of our firm and made some important observations that helped us correct our course in a number of ways. I toured the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Natural History Museum in South Central Park, which was Polshek designed. When the museum came along, I knew exactly who to call. We put together a great team and pursued and won that project. We’re still working on the museum. We’re working on a plan right now to electrify the museum, taking all the carbon-based fuels out of the museum and anticipating it will be net zero. How has architecture evolved since your early days? When I was in architecture school, everything we did was by hand. There was an inkling of computers. The beginnings of computerized graphics happened at the University of Utah. When I was in electrical engineering at the University of Utah, I ran into people like Evans and Sutherland. I credit Abe Gillies for seeing early on that there were ways to automate processes. We were an early adopter of pin bar drafting (which was really the beginning of computerized drafting) even though we were still drawing with pencils and pens on mylar at the time. We would draw in layers: the footing and foundation is a layer, the floorplan is a layer and the ceiling plan is a layer. Then, we would put all those layers together and run sets of blueprints from those layers. It’s exactly what we do on a computer today; it’s just automated. All the layers are there; Salt Lake City Public Safety Building 10 REFLEXION
they’re just easy to manipulate. Then, we moved into Revit and three-dimensional design and created three-dimensional models of our buildings. I’ve been a little reluctant with all of that. I worry that we get into the computer too soon and that don’t spend enough time thinking strategically about the problem that we’re trying to solve. In some ways, with computers, it becomes too late to make a lot of changes. In ‘79 and ‘80, architecture was a men’s game. There was one woman in my architecture class who had to drop out for family reasons. Now, I think more than half of the architecture classes at the U are women, and there are certainly many minorities. GSBS has consciously tried to be more inclusive and offer opportunities to others. We’ve discovered that it makes us better architects, better human beings and more sensitive to others’ issues. We’re diverse, inclusive and multidisciplinary in many ways now. It is really fun to work with people with so many different backgrounds and educations in our firm. Disappointments? Sometimes, you invest emotionally, intellectually and financially in the pursuit of a project that you really want, and it doesn’t work out. There are great personal losses and loss of resources. There are disappointments to the people in the firm who we want to convince that we really do know what we’re doing. My personal disappointment is the loss of some of the people I consider friends, mentors and staff. When you lose a key person in the office, for whatever reason, you always stop and say, “Isn’t there something we could have done to work this out?” I think losing important people is harder than losing projects. What do you love about architecture? I believe I owe the world something for the privilege that I’ve had. I think I’ve inspired a few people, at least within environmental design, to try to make the world a better place. The sad part of being heavily involved in it is realizing how much more work we have to do. The amount of change we have to create as architects is huge, and we’re still not all on the same page. I think the environmental architecture movement and creating LEED … those are all really good things. We have a profession that’s deeply capable of making the change that we need to make, but we have a political and social system that is standing in the way of our profession doing what we know how to do. Advice for young architects? Sometimes, I teach at the architecture school. It’s a great opportunity to meet students and see some of the talent. I think we’re getting architects who are really proficient at using computers to design. Computers allow us to look at really beautiful renderings quickly. But 100 views of a bad idea is still a bad idea. Sometimes, it’s easy to seduce people with really beautiful renderings. I look for people who are able to think critically and try to define the problem before we start Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District Weber Basin Water Conservatory District 11
looking at three-dimensional architectural solutions. We can talk strategically about how the project fits into the community and how it relates to the environment. We can bring those ideas together more deeply than by just creating some space, spinning it around and looking at it with a computer. I love computers, but I also am afraid of them being used too soon in the design process. It’s amazing seeing how the new talent goes about doing what they do. You can see pretty quickly if a person is able to put themself inside of their idea. Are you inside of the space when we talk about the quality of the space, the dimensions of the space, how the light comes into the space and how you circulate through the space, or are you just seeing that on a piece of paper? There are very few people who are able to put themselves inside of the design and be a part of and wear it. Architects are people who can safely design a building, get up in it and make it function, but a really great piece of architecture inspires people. It says something about society. It says something about the time we live in. It says something about our hopes and aspirations for the future. It’s more than a building. It’s a very sophisticated work of art. It’s hard to come by, and it doesn’t happen every time. Last thoughts? When we started, Utah was a pretty utilitarian place. The first really great building in a long time was the Salt Lake City Library by Moshe Safdie. That building, I think, made us feel good about ourselves and helped us, as a city, realize that we deserve the best architecture. I think it raised the bar. Buildings like that — and the Speed Skating Oval and the Museum of Natural History — are easier to achieve today because we recognize what is good, and we always want to do something better. It’s been fun growing up in a place that has gone through so much change and so much growth. It’s a great place to be an architect. Of course, the other side of architecture is the amount of knowledge and information that goes into every building to get it built and the incredible amount of risk that we take. It’s an incredible production to put up a large, complicated building and have a reasonably good chance that it won’t fall down in an earthquake or somebody is not going to fall off of it. I’m very appreciative of all of the people who have helped me in my career, and I hope that I’ve helped a few others along the way. I’ll probably continue to do what I do until I die. I’m happy that my current partners see value and that I’m able to continue to work. It’s what I really like to do. I’m much happier coming into the office every day and taking on a new challenge. Architecture is a great profession because it really doesn’t have an end to it. You’re not a pilot who can’t land the plane anymore. Maybe we fade out, and our ideas aren’t valid. But I do think critical thinking skills will always be valuable. I’ve had a good career. I think my family is proud of me, and it’s created opportunities for them. Utah Olympic Speed Skating Oval Saint Thomas More Catholic Church 12 REFLEXION
Celebrating Success Our Inaugural TopGolf Event and Plans for the Future BY DAVID W. GRIFFIN II, AIA, BEMP, GGF, DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP Dear esteemed members of AIA Utah, We are absolutely delighted to share the incredible news of the resounding success of our inaugural golfing fundraiser for architects. The overwhelming support and positive feedback from both attendees and sponsors have been nothing short of inspiring. This milestone marks a significant achievement for our community. It showcases the collective power we hold to affect positive change in our industry and beyond. A Remarkable Networking Opportunity At the heart of AIA Utah lies our dedication to the advancement of architecture and the professionals who shape our built environment. Networking events are a crucial part of this endeavor. They provide a platform for architects to come together, share insights and build relationships that can lead to collaborations and opportunities. The TopGolf event exemplified this spirit of camaraderie and cooperation, creating an environment where industry peers could connect in a relaxed and enjoyable setting. Adding Value to Membership In our ongoing efforts to enhance the value of your AIA Utah membership, we recognize the importance of providing events that go beyond the ordinary. These gatherings not only contribute to our shared causes but also create spaces where members can forge lasting connections with fellow professionals. Through the TopGolf event and similar events in the future, we aim to foster an environment of mutual support and learning. A Glimpse Into the Future In light of the overwhelming success of this year’s event, we are thrilled to announce that the TopGolf event will now become an annual tradition! We are eager to build upon the achievements of this inaugural event, taking into account the invaluable feedback we have received from our members. Your insights are crucial in shaping future events, ensuring that each experience is even more enriching and rewarding. As we reflect on this achievement, we extend our deepest gratitude to all who contributed. Whether through participation, sponsorship or volunteer efforts, your support has made a tangible impact on our endeavors. It is through your dedication and generosity that we are able to drive positive change within our community and beyond. Stay tuned for updates on future events and initiatives. We are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead and look forward to continuing this journey together. Thank you for being a vital part of the AIA Utah community. Your enthusiasm and commitment are the cornerstones of our success! Warm regards, David W. Griffin II, AIA 13
Architecture has been a part of Roger Jackson’s entire life, but he didn’t make the decision to go ‘all in’ until he was in his early 20s. His Dad was an architect and he started in civil engineering. At some point, there was a natural transition to move to a career that would capture both his mathematical and artistic talents. He graduated from the University of Utah School of Architecture in 1984. He landed at FFKR Architects soon after and has been there ever since. He started working early directly with principals, mainly Joe Rubin and Kip Harris, who pressed hard and encouraged him to define problems and offer solutions, which was a baseline for future success. His stellar hand-drawing skills helped him through this time. They enabled him to participate in projects like the Hotel Utah (now Joseph Smith Memorial Building) and East High School — which he calls “the most famous building in the world to a younger demographic.” Roger was provided this opportunity because he was trusted to follow through on projects, and it set the tone for a future career in the restoration of historical architecture and adaptive reuse. He found that he enjoyed working in large teams on complex projects with unique details. Since then, he describes himself as “blessed beyond measure to work on once-in-a-lifetime projects” and has been able to engage with large teams of supportive people. Because of his gentle charisma, all types of professionals who participate in his projects love working with him. He recognizes that the work he does requires a lot of support, both in the office with colleagues and support from his family at home. Roger has spent much of his professional career with a unique specialization in religious architecture and has become one of the most prominent architects for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in recent history, during a time of large international growth of the global faith, and its corresponding massive building expansion. This includes the sensitive preservation, restoration and renovation of iconic historic structures like the Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake Tabernacle and Temple Square campus expansion in downtown Salt Lake City, as well as beloved tabernacle assembly halls in communities like Vernal and Provo that were converted to temples. His architectural contributions include Roger Jackson, FAIA 14 REFLEXION
the meticulous research into the reconstruction of the Nauvoo Illinois Temple, which historically served as a template in function and religious ceremony for future temples, as well as the design of elegant modern and classically themed temples in communities across the globe that inspire and uplift their patrons. Drawing on his understanding of classical and historic architecture, he has also designed classically inspired modern buildings, including the Utah State Capitol East & West Office Buildings, helping to execute Richard Kletting’s original vision for the Utah State Capitol campus. During the seven years as President of FFKR, he celebrated great success and navigated the challenges of business while always being transparent with staff. Now, after his departure from the presidency, he focuses on leadership and mentoring within the office, guiding his team of talented individuals both on projects and through the FFKR Mentoring Program. He encourages people to draw and work hard in and out of the office to keep their careers fresh. His stewardship out of the office and within the local and national AIA has stretched over his 40 years of practice, giving him an opportunity to form lasting relationships with architects outside of FFKR and share his experience and talents with the larger community of construction and design. He has given countless presentations for groups all over the world on elements of his expertise involving restoration and design. Notably for AIA National on Catastrophic Fire and Restoration and the National Stone Institute on Stone Detailing on Buildings. He has held several positions at the local and national AIA level — notably, he served as Director at Large at a time of transition for chapter organization from Utah Society to the Utah Chapter, assisting Julie Berreth as President. He has also served on the Government Affairs and COTE Committees and is now working on collaborating with the Fellows Western Mountain Region. Outside of AIA, he has spoken at most universities in the state of Utah, given talks in countless church community activities and has been a guest speaker for learning unit opportunities online. Volunteering his time has been a large part of Roger’s career. Serving on many design Juries for educational organizations like the University of Utah and Women in Architecture. He is also involved with non-profit organizations, including the Utah Film Critics Association (UFCA), Urban Land Institute (ULI), and Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM). He has served on the board of directors for Utahns Against Hunger, Envision Utah. We gratefully and proudly recognize and honor Roger as this year’s recipient of the AIA Utah Bronze Medal. Congratulations! 15
WordsFlow Makes It Easier for All of Us BY CALI CENTURIÓN, CPSM, SENIOR PROPOSAL MANAGER, J-U-B ENGINEERS, INC. I will admit here and now that I really used to get bothered by technical staff not providing the information I requested from them. And I complained. Then some smarter-than-me people made suggestions about how to get what I needed, like talking in-person or over the phone to the person — almost interviewing him/her — to get what I needed. Right off the bat, I realized that 99% of the time, the person wanted to help me but felt overwhelmed by my request since my request competed with billable deadlines or marketing simply wasn’t a typical task and it took longer to switch gears into “marketing mode.” Understanding the “other side of the coin” made me want to find easier ways for technical staff to be involved. There are many processes and tips on how to communicate within a firm to gather the information we need, which many of us have heard and I am not going to mention them in this. Instead, I’d like to talk about a great tool I have been fortunate to come across. It is an InDesign plugin called WordsFlow. What Is It? Simply put, WordsFlow allows you to export threaded “stories” or text from InDesign directly into a Microsoft Word document. Revisions can be made in Word and the link refreshed in InDesign to show those changes. Because I use tables often in my proposals, I have found that the “look” of the exported WordsFlow file is closer to the InDesign layout than the files I have simply placed without WordsFlow. How to use the plugin was taught to me briefly and, because I had some time, I started playing around with it to see how it worked and how I could apply it to the proposals I was creating. I have since used it in several different formats, including a “free form” layout, which I have seen most often with municipalities and private companies, and forms, such as Section H of the SF330. Knowing I will be using WordsFlow changes the way I set up a document; it causes me to be more strategic about what goes where and which text boxes are threaded together or where to break the thread and start a new section. I may break or separate sections based on topic or author, meaning one author might have a subsection or three whole sections, so I would keep his/her sections threaded when feasible. How Does This Tool Help Technical Staff? MS Word is a standard tool that most, if not all, technical staff have had to use throughout their schooling and on the job — it’s “Goals don’t separate high performers; systems do.” – Richard Young 17
familiar and easy to use as a text editing tool. Couple that easy-to-edit Word file with quick-to-read requests and the responses seem to rush in faster than expected. How Does This Tool Help Marketing Staff? Being able to click “relink” instead of copying and pasting text back and forth from emails or PDF documents is an absolute timesaver. (I have used the Adobe commenting tools, but found it often created very large documents, which became cumbersome to open and use.) I’ve also found I have fewer comments and questions, meaning I’ve spent less time in coordination. Formatting and styles are maintained much more consistently using WordsFlow as opposed to simply linking a Word file, even when I have not set up character or paragraph styles in Word. When Should It Be Used? I will hands down admit there are times or teams or situations where I would not recommend WordsFlow. Sometimes it only complicates things and I’m all about keeping things “doable.” But if your teams understand how it is being used and apply themselves to making it work, they can more easily and quickly submit their writing assignments or make edits. Places I highly recommend using WordsFlow: • Resumes: Bios, education, licenses, and project information are easily and quickly revised. • Project pages: Whenever there is a narrative on a project, WordsFlow can be a great tool to collect and modify that information. • Narrative: Anytime there is a great length of narrative to be modified, especially when being reviewed by more than one person, “Track Changes” can be used in Word. When there are several pages of text or more than one author, breaking the text into reasonable sections and exporting them as separate Word files has worked best for me. • One author reviews: If only one person is reviewing, WordsFlow can be an easy way for modifications to be made. I often provide a word count to (hopefully) make things easier. If more than one person will be reviewing and making edits, have them edit one after the other using the same document. Consider having them use the “Track Changes” feature, too. • Larger proposals requiring input and/or modifications from non-marketing staff: When you’re providing 20+ full-page resumes, among other information, and trying to hit color reviews, being able to send out Word documents for revisions makes things run smoother. Some Additional Thoughts: • Because images do not export with the text into the exported Word file, I would suggest providing a PDF of the InDesign layout when the exported Word document is sent out for revisions. • Simultaneous editing in the InDesign and Word documents can be cumbersome. If the Word document and InDesign file are simultaneously edited, note that WordsFlow automatically institutes InDesign’s Track Changes feature. This means you can open the Story View in InDesign to see which changes were made where. My advice is to export a Word document with any changes made in InDesign before edits are made in Word. • Though this isn’t the rule, some InDesign formatting may need to be applied or reapplied, so I highly recommend using character, paragraph, and object styles in InDesign to make the reformatting faster, easy, and consistent. WordsFlow has been a great tool that I have found very useful when working with technical staff to pull together a proposal, especially when working through color reviews, which often feels like the same proposal is being overhauled once a week for 3–4 weeks. Scan the QR code to take advantage of their free trial and see if it would work for you. http://emsoftware.com/products/ wordsflow/ 18 REFLEXION
2023 DESIGN AWARDS The Salt Lake County Library at Daybreak is a new public project located in a transit-oriented, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use community. The library is an anchor in the new urbanist Daybreak development that promotes local community values, prioritizes people and activates streets while still accommodating vehicular transportation. The urban aspects of this project focus on maximizing public space in and around the new library. Public art, gardens, gathering space and even an outdoor amphitheater naturally integrated into the building’s walls line the street front blurring the boundary between the building and site. The library features ground-floor uses that physically and visually connect to the adjacent streetscape. High ceilings celebrate the visual transition between exterior and interior spaces. To create a sense of place, this project includes a universally accessible green roof that engages viewers from the surrounding balconies above. Native landscapes on the roof of this public building are always accessible and represent the rewilding of Daybreak’s dense Town Center. Ultimately, the building tops out with a solar panel shade canopy for those enjoying the public space on the roof. The Daybreak Library distinguishes itself as a 21st-century library, a resource for the free exchange of thoughts, ideas and skills. The maker space allows patrons the opportunity for hands-on learning with tools such as sewing machines, crafting equipment, 3D and other print-making equipment. A sound studio, complete with instruments, provides an opportunity for rehearsing and recording music as well as podcast production. There is a workshop that includes an operable wall. This indoor/ outdoor space is perfect for teaching skills such as bicycle maintenance, as the paths of the site tie directly into a regional trail system. The vegetated roof provides the opportunity to teach about the ecology of the surrounding trail systems. AIA Utah 2023 Honor Award Winner DAYBREAK LIBRARY OWNER ARCHITECT STRUCTURAL ENGINEER MECHANICAL ENGINEER ELECTRICAL ENGINEER CIVIL ENGINEER GENERAL CONTRACTOR Salt Lake County Architectural Nexus Dunn Associates, Inc. VBFA EELD Meridian Stallings 19
AIA Utah 2023 Honor Award Winner MESA ARIZONA TEMPLE RESTORATION The original Temple had seen several renovations and additions throughout its history. As a result, many of the original details of this neo-classical, colonial revival building were hidden, missing or damaged. The goal became restoring and repairing original details where possible and reimagining original intent and function where necessary. One strategy for beginning a historic renovation is to look for precedents in other buildings of the same age, style and grandeur. But the Mesa Temple has no equals — it is a true original treasure. Through the cooperation of Church historians, a trove of photographs and our own archaeological investigation, we discovered the Mesa Temple is its own precedent. This project was a seven-year collaboration between the owner, design team, contractor and hundreds of specialized manufacturers and trades, all working together to achieve a beautifully renovated historic landmark. OWNER ARCHITECT STRUCTURAL ENGINEER MECHANICAL ENGINEER LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT CIVIL ENGINEER GENERAL CONTRACTOR The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑Day Saints GSBS Architects ARW Engineers Heath Engineering LOCI Bowen Collins & Associates Porter Brothers 20 REFLEXION
AIA Utah 2023 Merit Award Winner AIA Utah 2023 Urban Design Honor Award — Built Work GRANARY CAMPUS SALT LAKE The approach to the design was to create a “base camp” for the community — a place to relax, sleep, eat, climb, skate and shop for outdoor gear and accessories and connect the buildings together in a cohesive way while still maintaining the integrity and character of its history. The developers had successfully combined retail with climbing and skating experiences on the West Coast and recognized that Salt Lake City had the ideal conditions critical to the success of its development concept: a location with 45-minute access to world-class climbing, biking and skiing and 15-minute access to an international airport in a regional arts and culture hub. The project team had to navigate a complicated and unique set of program elements with different occupancies for six separate tenant groups, each of whom had specific requirements. These occupancies include A) Assembly (Bouldering Gym, Hotel, Lounge/Bar, Spa) and B) Business (evo and L9 Retail — Mercantile, Exercise). The design solution for these uses to flow from a multi-story connecting core required constant attention to fire separation, ADA accessibility, as well as the guest/ customer experience. OWNER ARCHITECT STRUCTURAL ENGINEER MECHANICAL ENGINEER ELECTRICAL ENGINEER LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT CIVIL ENGINEER GENERAL CONTRACTOR Lake Union Partners & Evo Lloyd Architects Calder Richards & Associates Royal Engineering Royal Engineering Loft 64 Johanson Engineering Kier Construction 21
AIA Utah 2023 Urban Design Merit Award Winner PARK CITY STREETSCAPE PARK CITY MUNICIPAL CORP. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT ARCHITECT CIVIL ENGINEER ELECTRICAL ENGINEER Matthew Twombley MGB+A Hoffman Architects Alliance Engineering BNA Consulting Park City draws visitors throughout the year for its world-class skiing, natural setting, abundant summer activities and authentic small-town charm. The Main Street historic district becomes the epicenter of the Sundance Film Festival and numerous community-focused markets and celebrations. The streetscape improvements made to the city center elevate the exterior spaces to support these broad-ranging activities while remaining compatible with the eclectic nature of the architecture on Main Street and the history of the community as a mining town turned outdoor recreation tourism hub. Placemaking elements and authentic materials, rich in color and texture, were selected to create a statement where appropriate and remain simple and subdued where needed. A simple palette of granite and concrete on Main Street allows the focus to remain on the storefronts of the many shops and restaurants that frame the corridor. Gathering places and connective spaces used a broader palette to aid in wayfinding and create unique experiences along the edges of Main Street and in surrounding spaces. 22 REFLEXION
AIA Utah 2023 Urban Design Merit Award Winner — Innovative + Novel Unbuilt Work POST HOUSE The Post District is a 13-acre site spanning one and a half city blocks in Downtown Salt Lake City. Located along the main entrance and exit boulevards to the city, this development is the next great expansion piece of downtown. It will transform a dormant, vacant, overlooked and forgotten portion of the city into an exceptional urban neighborhood. A team of development partners with the vision to make Post District a large all-in-one project (rather than constructing it in smaller stages) moved forward with the ambitious plan during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic. Post House is the residential component of Post District and will include five apartment- and mixeduse buildings, each with its own rooftop amenities that create a neighborhood network of outdoor spaces. Two mid-block streets (Gale and Bly) will be amply landscaped public paths linking outdoor courtyards, plazas, and street-level dining areas. OWNER ARCHITECT STRUCTURAL ENGINEER MECHANICAL ENGINEER ELECTRICAL ENGINEER LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT CIVIL ENGINEER GENERAL CONTRACTOR Lowe Property Group MVE Architects Dunn Associates JTB Engineering Hunt Electric Wenk & Loft Six Four McNeil Engineering Big-D 23
AIA Utah 2023 Student Honor Award Winner ARCHITECTURE OF ABANDONMENT Designing a Visitor Center for an Uncertain Future The Great Salt Lake has been in ecological decline for decades, neglected and dishonored, especially compared to the Wasatch Mountains towering above its shores. It is a symbol of environmental neglect, forgotten dreams and future opportunity. We are at a tipping point where the future of the lake (and of the whole region) stands in balance. As such, Architecture of Abandonment proposes a design for a new visitor center capable of fostering positive human engagement with the lake in the timeline where we are able to preserve it — or serve as a warning or memorial, a symbol of the consequences of ecological collapse if the Great Salt Lake were to disappear. A Dynamic Site The shores of a terminal lake are always in flux and thus prove to be a difficult location to build. The Saltair Visitor Center follows in the footprint of the former Saltair structures and reutilizes the site’s historic organizational philosophy. STUDENT Jaden Robertson 24 REFLEXION
AIA Utah 2023 Student Merit Award Winner DESIGN TO HEAL A Dementia Care Center, Goa, India Designing a dementia care center in Goa, India, presents a unique challenge due to the increasing prevalence of dementia in India, particularly in rural areas. This project aims to create a peoplecentered environment that promotes physical, emotional, social and spiritual well-being for patients with dementia. Incorporating natural light is a primary focus to aid healing and wayfinding. The design draws inspiration from traditional Indian architectural elements such as courtyards, patios, jalis and verandahs. The campus is designed as a hierarchy of social spaces, including multiple courtyards with carrying levels of visual access to aid in wayfinding and promote social engagement. The layout is organized from public to private areas, with care taken to create an environment of comfort and ease during the transition from a private home to a shared living environment. The tropical climate of Goa is taken into account, with large overhands, circular cutouts for plantations and water bodies for maintaining a cool environment during hot summers. Perforated brick facades and roofs of varying heights and shapes add visual interest to the design while respecting the surrounding context of vernacular architecture. Local materials like red laterite bricks and stone are used for paving and wall construction. The project aims to create an environment that provides a sense of belonging, personal dignity and purpose for individuals with dementia, their families and caregivers. STUDENT Surbhi S. Ghodke 25
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