Strawtegi CO₂ttage Tiny House Competition Finalist Becomes a Reality Fast & Furious ‘24 HKS: Local Roots, Global Expertise PUB 4 2023-2024 ISSUE 3
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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 Chamonix Larsen, AIA, LEED AP, CxA+BE President-Elect Whitney Ward, AIA Secretary Natalie Shutts-Bank, AIA Treasurer Libby Haslam, AIA Editor Frances Pruyn, CPSM Staff Executive Director Angie Harris Roberts Programs & Office Manager Joe Mangum ©2024 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. 5 President’s Message Priorities for AIA Utah 6 Executive Director’s Message Supporting and Connecting Our Members 7 Member Spotlight Daniel Rogers, AIA 8 Fast & Furious ‘24 10 HKS: Local Roots, Global Expertise 14 Legends Tom Jensen, AIA 18 Steven Cornell, AIA and John Ewanowski, AIA Publish New Book: Salt Lake City’s Modern Architecture 20 In Memoriam 24 Strawtegi CO2ttage Tiny House Competition Finalist Becomes a Reality 27 Introduction to 2021 IBC Code Updates 30 EERI Utah Chapter CONTENTS 4 REFLEXION
Priorities for AIA Utah CHAMONIX LARSEN, AIA, LEED AP, CxA+BE PRESIDENT, AIA UTAH PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Get the most out of your membership by engaging and telling us what you need. Dear AIA Members, 2024 is going to be a great year for our chapter. I am honored to serve my fellow architects as the 2024 AIA Utah President and to follow many great past presidents who laid a strong foundation for us. I couldn’t be more excited about the fantastic groups of current leaders that make up our board and executive leadership team. The chapter should also be extremely excited about the strides Angie Roberts made in her inaugural year as executive director and the wonderful staff dedicated specifically to AIA Utah. It is clear they want to see the chapter grow and sustain a high-quality organization through positivity and problem-solving. We have the right team in place to do a lot for you. Below are some priorities I have for the chapter this year: Serving Members: The strong leadership in place sets the stage for wonderful opportunities to serve our members. We’ve got great ideas, but need to see and hear from you. Please join us at business leadership summits, educational conferences, and interdisciplinary and membership events. Get the most out of your membership by engaging and telling us what you need. Outreach: I also feel strongly that architects need to communicate with our partner AEC community and the public. People should see the value of architects clearly. We have an opportunity to improve our efforts on this front. We aim to connect across disciplines and promote collaborative partnerships in our market. The chapter, working alongside the Utah Center for Architecture, can also create more opportunities for outreach starting with K-12 programs, social outreach, and participating in municipal planning and public forums. We need support from our membership to make this happen. If this is your passion, please reach out to the chapter! Advocating for the Practice: AIA Utah can also support local architectural businesses’ abilities to create the best teams by creating a welcoming community for a diverse pool of talent. We need to ensure that we also help our state create messages and regulations that are supportive of increasing a firm’s access to the most talented students, graduates and professionals. I am so excited to serve in this capacity. I hope to hear from you all soon! Chamonix Larsen 5
In mid-January, I found myself at Urban Hill mingling with AIA members and allied partners. There was lots of laughter, great food and cocktails, and vibrant discussions about the AEC industry. The event was AIA Utah’s annual sponsor appreciation night, our chance to thank the sponsors who support our mission and help us provide quality events and education for our members. Member dues cover a significant portion of AIA Utah’s budget. However, they are not enough to support committee work, unique programming, partnerships with sister organizations and our signature events like the scholarship golf tournament and annual fall conference. The benefits of annual sponsorship to allied members are numerous. AIA Utah offers opportunities to interact with the local AEC community. Our events provide a space for collaboration and learning, promote current design and construction trends, and showcase product innovations. Our annual sponsors are able to keep their brand and products front and center. As an 800+ member association, they have access to architects across Utah, including the people who make key decisions. Our weekly Punchlist reaches thousands, and our social media accounts leverage communication with those interested in design/build initiatives. I am relatively new to the AEC industry, so the evening at Urban Hill was a great opportunity to meet with current and prospective sponsors and put faces to the names I’ve heard over the last year. What struck me most, however, was the strong and warm connection so many in the industry have with each other. There is a genuine interest in supporting each other while also promoting the AEC profession and the built environment. If you are an AIA member, please share your gratitude with our sponsors. We can’t thank them enough for their support and interest in architecture. If you are a prospective sponsor, we’d love to chat more about the opportunities to partner. Feel free to reach out to me directly at ahroberts@aiautah.org. To our current sponsors, one more thank you for your continued partnerships! Angie Supporting and Connecting Our Members ANGIE HARRIS ROBERTS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AIA UTAH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
Time is valuable; why AIA? I didn’t understand the value of AIA for a long time because I didn’t take the time to try. It took someone starting the conversation with me to really become curious, and I’m thankful that they did. There are so many great quotes out there about the power of working together, and that’s what it really comes down to. AIA is, at its essence, architects agreeing that collaborating for the collective good is a worthwhile effort. And we see the evidence of that value in all that has been, and continues to be, accomplished on many fronts, like government advocacy, contracts, recognition through awards and keeping up with the continuously evolving nature of our profession. Favorite Utah space: There is certainly no shortage of great options here, but if you are spending time with great folks, the environment/view is always secondary. Favorite drink: Good old H₂O is my go-to … there’s nothing like it. But first thing in the morning, I’ll take a coffee, black. Mantra: “Treat others like you want to be treated.” It’s the golden rule for a reason, and it applies to architecture as well; design for others like you would want them to design for you. No matter how you apply it, things turn out for the best. Daniel Rogers, AIA 7
Fast & Furious ‘24 BY SHAWN BENJAMIN, AIA, LEEP AP, AIA UTAH BOD AND GAC LIAISON Seems like there’s a new one every year. You just can’t make them stop. For the most part, it’s the same story and people, with maybe just a little variation. It usually starts off with a blazing flurry of action, followed by an unbearable stretch of “plot development,” only to be capped off with another thunderous race to the finish line, where we can all rest assured knowing there won’t be another iteration for at least 10 more months … sigh … if only Vin Deisel could help with the 2024 legislative session in Utah. This year has already stacked up to be as fastpaced as years past. Pulling up to the line with 458 numbered bills, 11 concurrent resolutions, 23 joint resolutions and five resolutions, the House is revving their proverbial engines. The Senate crowd won’t be disappointed, though, with 187 numbered bills, four concurrent resolutions, 15 joint resolutions, and two resolutions under the hood. Below the tree light, a total of 705 documents for consideration. In addition, we expect several unnumbered House and Senate bills to eventually make their way to various committees and then the floors of their respective chambers for debate and votes. Already, the governor has signed 11 bills into action. While most of them have been budgetrelated, three early starters include SB57 (Utah Constitutional Sovereignty Act), HB257 (Sex‑based Designations for Privacy, Anti-bullying and Women’s Opportunities) AND HB261 (Equal Opportunity Initiatives). The two House bills signed into law affect the architectural community directly but had little time for debate or input, having been drafted in the months preceding the legislative session. However, the Government Affairs Committee (GAC) and AIA Utah offered input on both in the short time that we’ve already been underway. 8 REFLEXION
This year, there are several other bills being tracked by the GAC and our AIA lobbyists with input from local design professionals. The following (with brief descriptions) are bills that are directly relevant to the built and natural environment with the potential to impact our industry and the services we provide to clients ranging from private residents to public agencies: House Bills HB011 — Water Efficient Landscaping Requirements: Restricts lawn or turf by certain government entities. HB047 — Utah Seismic Safety Commission Amendments: Extends sunset to 2030, effective date changes. HB048 — Utah Energy Act Amendments: Office of Energy Development changes. HB058 — International Licensing Amendments: Broadens satisfaction of education/experience for licensure. HB064 — State Construction and Fire Codes Amendments: Modifies state construction and fire codes. HB104 — Property Owner Association Amendments: Prohibits HOA from prohibiting Radon-related modifications. HB152 — Residential Construction Amendments: Requires DPL to create model residential construction contracts. HB188 — Building Permit Requirements: No agency changes can be required after a permit is issued. HB195 — Land Use Planning Amendments: Consider wildlife in adopting general plans and land use regulations. HB215 — Home Solar Energy Amendments: Allows customers to rescind contracts within a certain time of installation. HB235 — Eminent Domain Amendments: Bonneville Shoreline Trail is public use, allowing for eminent domain use. HB237 — Land Use Authority Amendments: Prohibits agency aesthetic requirements unless already codified. HB275 — Water Amendments: HOA can’t require keeping lawn or turf. HB280 — Water Related Changes: Water resources board to impose fees and prioritize requirements for those fees. HB289 — State Property Ombudsman Amendments: Allows for legal fees if prevailing with an ombudsman decision. HB343 — Design Professional Services Procurement Amendments: Definition to include landscape architects. HB374 — State Energy Policy Amendments: Encourages market-based solutions to current energy issues. Senate Bills SB118 — Water Efficiency Amendments: Developer incentives for water-efficient landscaping in new developments. SB144 — Public Art Funding Amendments: Creates public art installation initiative with possible funding match. SB168 — Housing Affordability Amendments: Statewide building code for modular building units. Congressional Bills AIA has been advocating for you directly and is excited to see HR 7024 (Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024) making its way through the capital building in Washington, D.C. Part of this bill addresses provisions of Research and Development deductions that switched to an amortized model under a prior sunset provision. Due to the intense impact on design firms across the nation, AIA members on both local and national levels have reached out to their representatives to encourage support for this and other similar bills. On Jan. 31, the House voted in favor of this new bill with significant bipartisanship and a 357-70 count. Thank you, everyone, for your collective efforts, but it still has to pass the Senate, so keep up the pressure and help your interests be represented across the country. If you don’t see a bill that you’ve been tracking, let us know or join us for our GAC meetings each Wednesday at 8:00 a.m. during the session. We’re certainly open to more input from all our professionals as the session continues. Over the next several weeks, we look forward to working with you all alongside our representatives to share our voice as design professionals as we head for the checkered flag. With any luck, we’ll straighten a few curves and flatten a few hills … wait, that’s a different car show … any good lines from “Herbie Goes Bananas?” 9
Many architectural firms start an additional location. The firm might see business opportunities or have a client with a job that needs service or an employee who wants to move there. Many firms also close those offices when they can’t sustain the financial base necessary to be self-supporting or the original project that launched the satellite is completed. The Salt Lake Studio of HKS, however, is a success story. In March 2024, HKS Salt Lake City will celebrate its 25th anniversary. The Salt Lake office, which began modestly to serve clients in the Intermountain West and the Pacific Region, now has 27 employees and a healthy portfolio of work in and outside of Utah. The studio is busy and growing. The growth of the HKS Salt Lake City office was shaped by HKS’s home office philosophies. In 1939, Harwood K. Smith founded what was then a one-person firm in Dallas. Smith began his career by designing several residential communities and high-rise office buildings. By the 1970s, HKS included a diversified portfolio of education, industrial, banking and healthcare work. Today the firm is an interdisciplinary design firm with 29 offices in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. There are more employees working outside the Dallas office than within it. The firm has won numerous awards for the quality of its design, including the prestigious AIA COTE Top Ten Award in 2023. At the heart of each office’s success is the approach that HKS has to expansion. Emir Tursic, AIA, Salt Lake HKS’s current office director, said, “It’s not an easy task. We thoroughly research the demographics of each location and consider our client relationships and the availability of talent. You can’t overlook the challenges in a new market. Before opening a business in an area or region, there has to be an incredible understanding of the market and emphasis on what HKS can bring to clients.” Michael Vela, AIA, opened the Salt Lake office in 1999. His chief focus, then, was to keep current clients happy. Michael’s office oversaw the construction of the 26-story American Stores Tower (now Wells Fargo Center) and primarily served healthcare clients that had a presence in Utah and the Pacific region. HKS: Local Roots, Global Expertise 10 REFLEXION
At first, Salt Lake was largely a small CA outpost, and design work came out of Dallas, but Michael Vela was dedicated to making the Utah office a viable local business. There was organic growth spurred by his knowledge and investment in the community. He taught and recruited from the University of Utah. Michael sat on Salt Lake’s Historic Landmark Commission, Utah Fire Uniform Building Commission and the Board of the Utah Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. He chased Utah work, was able to secure it by complementing his personal resume with local experience and a national portfolio. Michael and the key staff he hired over time — including Emir Tursic — grew HKS Salt Lake from a small satellite office into a full-service design firm that delivers hospitality, commercial and cultural projects that are changing the fabric of the Salt Lake City downtown. One of the biggest misperceptions about HKS Salt Lake is that it is still a Utah storefront for a global firm. Emir said, “We really think of ourselves as a local firm with a global reach. Most employees come from Utah, and many are University of Utah graduates. They pride themselves on being part of the community, which inherently makes us a local company. We are very embedded in the community. The big difference is that we are part of a bigger whole with a depth of expertise and an ability to work at all scales.” HKS has a reputation for doing mostly large projects. Certainly, there are a fair share of high-profile projects in Utah with HKS’ name attached to them: Wells Fargo, the Eccles Theatre (a collaboration with Caesar Pelli), the Capitol Theatre Remodel and Jessie Eccles Quinney Dance Centre, Brigham Young University Music Building, Astra Tower and Union Station Hotel, among many others. However, the studio also does a lot of different scaled projects: the Edison House, the Fourth Street Clinic and even single-room remodels. The firm has a public-interest initiative called Citizen HKS which allows it to dedicate company time and resources to help communities in need all over the world. 11
HKS brings the best talent to each job and diversity is a priority. Guided by the four pillars of Firm Equity, Advocacy for Diversity, Workplace Inclusion and Designing for Belonging, HKS is committed to building an international design practice that reflects the diversity of the clients and communities they serve. In 2020, HKS was one of the first sizable interdisciplinary design firms to join the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s shared plan to end extreme poverty, reduce inequality and protect the planet by 2030. To meet these demands, HKS adopted an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) structure. This means they use ESG data to evaluate the firm, from their employees to processes, policies and design portfolio. Beyond the large and varied labor force, there are other advantages to working with HKS’s global structure. Since, at any given time, market conditions dictate where the work is, the Salt Lake studio does not have to rely solely on design opportunities that are available in the Intermountain Region. Sometimes all the work in the office is in Utah, but if Utah slows down, the larger organization can use the Salt Lake staff’s expertise to work on or lead a project in different locations. It is these national and global Emir Tursic, AIA Michael Vela, AIA 12 REFLEXION
opportunities that appealed to Emir and many of his University of Utah classmates and led them to HKS. As a result, while their talent is always busy, organizing work across many offices can be demanding. HKS has embraced a hybrid work model since 2022, not only for design, documentation and delivery but also for the daunting tasks of managing workload, accounting and budgeting. Project leaders directly connect weekly in staffing meetings, going through every project to determine its level of needs. The firm is leveraging new technologies to connect with each other and with clients and partners. Emir observes that the design industry has evolved a lot in the last 20 years and continues to evolve. He predicts that AI will be a common tool like Revit and AutoCad, particularly to help look for precedents, methodology and materials. In the Salt Lake City office, as well as firmwide at HKS, there is a keen focus on sustainability on a holistic level. The firm became carbon neutral in 2023. “We are surely thinking about the carbon footprint, resilience and wellness to a much higher degree than in the past. Because technology has made the industry sleeker and faster, teams are smaller, and expectations have grown. Still, our design process hasn’t really changed. They are incredible tools, but you cannot design a building in a week.” The takeaway from 25 years of HKS’s success as both a regional office and local architecture firm? Leverage the strengths of having loyal clients and a wealth of professional expertise both nationally and internationally and dig your roots very deep into the community. Make it your home. Emir and Michael feel very fortunate to have contributed so significantly to Utah’s built environment. “We have been part of so many impactful projects and been able to play an integral part in the development of our city and state; we believe our body of work reflects that. We want this anniversary to be a celebration of our clients and our community,” said Michael. 13
BY FRAN PRUYN, CPSM LEGENDS When did you decide to become an architect? When I was four years old, I was playing in the sandbox and making houses, and my playmate, Patty, made a house that looked like an anthill. I had a little butter knife, and I carved it and shaped it into a form. My mother was looking out the window and said, “Tommy, are you going to be an architect?” I said, “What’s an architect?” “They design buildings.” And I thought, “Yeah.” Then in kindergarten, when people were drawing pictures of trees and clouds and puppies, I drew a picture of the nearby building. When we had scrapbooks, I would make houses and build things. It’s what I always wanted to be, and I’m too stubborn. You can’t persuade me not to. Talk about going to school to become an architect. I went to Cornell University in New York. A neighbor’s older brother had gone there and said it was the best school. My counselor even said, “Don’t go there; you’ll never make it.” Well, I’m stubborn, so I had to do it. Wisconsin, where I was from, didn’t have a school. I was accepted at Cornell. I think I got in on a prayer. I wasn’t the top of my class, but I was involved in a lot of things. I was president of the class, I was a drum major and I was in the band, orchestra and student council. Cornell was a tough school, and a lot of kids were from prep schools in the East. They were very good at the liberal arts. I struggled in the liberal arts, and there were points where I wanted to quit. But somehow, I did very well in the design architecture program. My father literally went bankrupt after my first year. It’s an expensive school. He had money, but then he lost it all. He said I couldn’t go back. And I said, “I am going back.” He said, “You can’t, there’s no money.” I said, “I’m going to do it.” See, I’m stubborn. So, I went back. I used some money that I had saved to go on an LDS mission. I got through my second year, but I had to wash dishes, wait on tables, cut grass and clean gutters. A lot of my friends who were very rich were traveling to the Alps for a Christmas vacation, and I was taking a Greyhound bus home or hitchhiking. It taught me work, and it was a good experience. It was painful, but even painful things teach you how to overcome difficulties. It taught me to question, to be a critical thinker, to be more analytical and to challenge things. Tom Jensen, AIA 14 REFLEXION
After my second year of university, I was out for three years. I went on a mission, and I had to earn money to go back in. Then I ran out of money in my fourth year. My family had no money. I had no money. It was in an expensive school even though I was working, I had run out of options. I went to the dean and said, “I need to drop out,” and told him my situation. He said, “We knew that; I wanted to see if you were going to exhaust all your resources. We have money for you. We’ll make sure that you can graduate”. I don’t know if he saw that there was some ability, but that was a gift. In 1970, I graduated with a five-year degree. I got a job — $700 a month, $8,400 a year — at a premiere firm: Fitzhugh Scott. I was so excited to work around these very talented people. Some of the first work I did was the expansion of Eero Saarinen’s War Memorial in Milwaukee. That was a privilege. One of the first renderings I did was on the cover of Progressive Architecture. But one thing you learn in architecture is that the market goes up and down. I got caught in a downturn, and they laid off three of us. Next, I went to a developer firm. They did condos and rental units; everything was quick. I learned to design quickly and how to work in a team. The boss would come in and say, “I need this by 1:00,” and it was 11:30. We’d all get around a table and draw. I saw that that wasn’t taking me where I wanted to go, so I worked for another firm that did medical, housing and financial institutions. My wife comes from California, and we decided to move. I interviewed with firms in California and Arizona. They said, “You have a nice portfolio, but if I were you, I’d go to a small town in Mid-America and hang out your shingle.” I said, “Why? You have this beautiful firm.” They said, “It’s not all it’s cracked up to be; find a little firm, a little town, and hang out your shingle.” I was coming through Logan, and I missed Main Street. I stopped at the red light, and there on the side was a sign that said Schaub Haycock & Associates (the forerunner of Design West). I had my portfolio with me and thought, “Why don’t I go in and interview?” Then the light turned green, so I drove back to Milwaukee. A couple of years later, I met Tony Wegener at a conference in Michigan. I said, “You’re from Logan?” He says, “Yeah, what do you know about Logan?” And I said, “Well, if I’m not mistaken, your office has two curved fences, and it’s a green bungalow on the north side of the street.” Then I told him a fib, “My family’s coming out to Yellowstone this summer. Do you mind if we stop in and see you?” He said, “Yeah, you might as well come in.” I went up to my hotel room and called my wife, and I said, “We’re going to Yellowstone this summer.” So, I came out and was very audacious and said, “I want to be a partner.” I was 28 or so. I wasn’t ready, but that’s what I said. They said, “Well, I don’t know if you can do it now,” but he called me eight months later and said, “We have a position.” I joined them in ’76. They put me in charge of the Logan Regional Hospital. I had done one addition to a hospital prior to that, so I had no experience. I had never done shop drawings, I had never done construction administration and I had never led a team. I had designed, but I had never done working drawings, and I was in charge of this 180,000-squarefoot new hospital. But you learn, you watch, you listen and the best thing is you find the people that have talent, and you learn from them; so, the team does it. The project won an AIA award. The project made money because I learned how to manage. After three and a half years, I was burned out. I wanted to do something that was quicker, smaller, nimbler. So, I started my own firm. I had no money. This was 1980, during a bad recession and nobody was hiring architects — nobody was investing, and interest rates were 14 or so percent. It was the dumbest time to start a firm, especially in Logan, not really the center of design. People told me, “You’re never going to survive. There’re too many architects.” I said, “They’re going to have to move because I’m going to do it.” Again, stubborn. Pretty soon, I had an LDS Stake Center, and then I had another Stake Center, and we had the city hall. Then I had a manufacturing plant and I had to hire people and get more work and get more work and hire people. The key to success is having great people. The first key person was Kim Campbell, who now has his own firm in St. George. Bruce Haslem was a great partner because he also had a magna cum laude degree in business finance, so he could manage the money. I hired John Erdman over the phone from Wisconsin. He became the most profitable member of our company ever. We hired Brent Hardcastle out of Texas. We got into industrial work and then into healthcare. Bruce, Brent and I had healthcare experience, and Intermountain Health Care hired us. Then Don Finlayson connected with us. He was from Hansen Lind Meyer, an international firm. He first came as a consultant, and then finally, we realized, “Let’s work together.” Here, we had an internationally famous healthcare planner. He had been used to working in firms of 8,000-9,000 people. We had 15, maybe 20. I put him in charge of the new
Salt Lake office. Pretty soon, the office was up to 30, 40 and 60 people. One of our major competitors was Thomas Peterson Hammond, who were healthcare planners/designers. We were always competing, then we collaborated on a $110 million project for the University of Utah. We decided that we worked together so well that we’d merge. Now, we were a 135-person firm. The culture was so good that we soon didn’t know where anybody came from. We didn’t know if they were from Jensen Haslem or from TPH. What was your role? I started off doing everything. Then I focused on design. Bruce Haslam came to me and said, “Tom, we’ll do the work. You find the work.” So, I started to become a marketer. That’s what I was doing when Don joined us and I was president. After the merger, the main body of the firm was in Salt Lake, but I was in Logan. So, I became chairman of the board, and he became president. Then we hired a great designer, Dave Cassil. I realized that my role was not designing. So, I did marketing, risk management, problem-solving, and client relations. I redefined myself three or four times, and that was actually interesting. My focus was on building a firm, focusing on the people, and getting them to do what they do best. The gift came in the form of talented people like Bruce, Don and David. We always seem to get the right people at the right time. The firm kept growing, and the fun was in growing the firm. We teamed with Fred Babcock, pursuing the Huntsman Cancer Center. He had a relationship with the Huntsmans, and we had a technical background in laboratories and medical. In the interview, we were competing against five or six national firms, SOM, NBBJ … I gave the technical presentation, then Fred got up, and it was like a spiritual experience. He talked about giving hope to the patients, giving hope to the families and making a cancer center that would serve and bless people. And bang, that won the job. I was managing the first phase. I was way over my head. We did the first phase and they wanted to do another phase and another phase. Don Finlayson had joined us by the second phase. This was his forte; he could manage huge jobs. The timing was just right. They’re still doing phases, and each of these are $150 million or so. When we met with Karen Huntsman, she said, “This is about giving hope.” Our conversations were about how we build hope. The facility was not designed as a hospital. It was designed more like a lodge or a resort, a hotel, so patients felt like they were being treated well. They all had beautiful views into the valley or up the mountain. The facility was designed for people who had been told that they had cancer. This would give them some brightness. The sunshine came in, and they had decks they could go out on. Instead of being down a corridor with green walls and little cubicles, they were treated like they were in the best lodge in Park City. What other projects are you particularly proud of? During the recession of 2008, I got a call from an architect from Philadelphia. He said, “We understand you’ve done data centers, and you’ve done federal work, government work. Our firm would like to collaborate with you on a project in Utah. We did one of these projects in Virginia, and that’s the only one. It’s kind of a larger project.” And I said, “100,000 square feet?” He said, “It’s actually several million square feet.” That is the National Security Agency at Point of the Mountain. Huge job, important job, nobody sees it because it’s top secret. 16 REFLEXION
Tell us about your time teaching overseas. I got a call one day from a cousin in Jordan. He asked me to come and teach at an American University in Jordan. I thought my wife would just say, “That’s ridiculous.” ISIS was fighting over there. But she said, “I think this would be interesting.” I retired from Architectural Nexus. We packed our bags, rented our house, went to Jordan and taught at a university there. Two of the classes I taught I had no preparation for except, “Go into this room and teach the class.” I said, “What class?” I asked the students, and they said, “This is graphic design.” I’m not trained in graphic design. I said, “Okay, what do you want to learn?” They said, “We want to know concept development.” I thought, “Okay, I can do that,” so I got out my whiteboard markers, and we started discussing what a problem was and how to solve it. Our experience in learning how to solve problems helped me teach those students who were Muslim, Christian and Arab. They were from all over: Armenians, Egyptians and Turks. Another course was called Cultural Development. One young Palestinian woman said, “I want to take one street in Amman, Jordan, and change it from incandescent lighting to LED lighting on the streets.” I said, “Do it.” She went off and, in six weeks, she came back with all of the metrics and financial studies, the operational cost and how much lumens. It was great. Three months after I returned, there was an article in the Amman, Jordan Times, that the municipality of Amman were changing all of their lighting from incandescent to LED. She changed the world. What happened when you came back? I came back and talked to Nexus and said I’d like to join them again. They said, “You have too many gray hairs. We want the young people to do the marketing.” I called construction companies, and Wadman was a great fit. My job then was to go to my former competitors and take them to lunch. It turned out that it was not marketing; it was making friends. That’s really what it’s about — loving people and having relationships that you can build. I counseled some of them about mergers or getting better profitability because I had already gone through that. Disappointments? Every time I lost a job, it broke my heart. I still walk by those buildings and say, “Dang.” But once I learned that we weren’t selected, I let go of it and moved on to the next project. It always hurts to lose a project, but you move on. We did fine. I suppose if I was highly egotistical, I would keep trying to think that I was the best designer, but I found people who were much better. So, I moved over and found different things to do. I could let that bother me, but it doesn’t because I can enjoy the work that they did. Explain the evolution of architecture during your career. When I started, it was drafting pencil on paper, and then to mylar, and then pin bar and then computer. Now they’re into things that are way beyond me. You used to wait till the end of a job and then get a rendering by some artist out in California. Now they want a rendering every week or every day. The ability for the designer, using computers, to see things in 3D and rotate and expand and pull things apart blows my mind. I believe that great architecture comes out of it. Some doesn’t. Just because you have a fancy tool doesn’t mean you’re going to have a great sculpture. Materials have changed. We used wood and concrete and brick and steel. Now it’s all these polymers and exotic materials that create finishes way beyond what we thought of. The structural systems and new technology … think about what Santiago Calatrava does! Zaha Hadid created organic architecture. Gehry’s Museum in Bilbao — when I walked into that building, I started crying because it was a spiritual experience that was created out of engineering. You can use the technology to create something that touches the soul. Any advice you’d give architects who are beginning their careers? Architecture, you have to love it. Don’t go into it for the money. You can make some money, but it’s not nearly as much as medical or lawyers. You have to love it, and you have to be willing to sacrifice for it. When I was doing Logan Hospital, I was averaging 16 hours a day, and I got sick, but it turned out to be a good thing. They need to know that. They also need to know that they are good at some things but not good at everything. I thought I was a great designer, and it turned out that I was a much better marketer and other people were better designers. Nobody could tell me that; I had to find it out. I decided when I was four years old. It turned out to be a good thing for me. I would not want to spend my life selling computers or being a lawyer. I don’t think I could do that. I love interacting with people. I love solving problems. And I think that’s what it’s all about. 17
Steven Cornell, AIA and John Ewanowski, AIA Publish New Book: “Salt Lake City’s Modern Architecture” architectural design owes more to Mies van der Rohe than to Richard Kletting (architect of the Utah State Capitol). It is closer to modernism.” Considering 21st-century architecture’s reliance on rectangular forms, lack of embellishment, horizontal composition, open floor plans, large glass windows and natural materials, there is an argument to be made that there has been a natural progression from Modernism to the designs we now see world-wide for commercial, institutional, industrial, hospitality and multi-unit residential projects. Cornell believes that one of the best Salt Lake City examples of the period is the First Security Bank Building at 405 South Main. “That is why it is on the cover.” First Security Bank was looking to the future and commissioned Wenceslao Sarmiento to design an office building that features a glass curtain, volumetric shapes, asymmetrical composition Steven Cornell and John Ewanowski, the co-authors of “Salt Lake City’s Modern Architecture,” call their new book a passion project. It was spawned by a presentation in 2016 at a preservation conference in Houston on modern buildings. Cornell wanted to execute a similar project here in Salt Lake and, with Ewanowski and in collaboration with Preservation Utah in 2017, launched a crowd-sourced project called “Uncommon Modern.” They put out an all-call for photos of buildings that fit into the post-war era and amassed hundreds from interested community members. Since that time, they have curated an online presence that catalogs modern architecture in the Salt Lake Valley. In 2019, Cornell and Ewanowski decided to compile a book that highlights Salt Lake City structures built from (approximately) 1945 through 1975 that were influenced by Modernism, a movement defined by an analytical and functional approach to architecture. The Salt Lake Valley population tripled during this period, and as a result, there were thousands of new buildings constructed. Cornell and Ewanowski are quick to say that this is not a comprehensive databank of Modernism’s buildings but a goodsized sampling of the significant structures and examples from the bodies of work of many of the architects practicing over the 30-plus-year period the book chronicles. “The 20th century in Salt Lake City was all about progress, creating a commercial center, advancing its status. Salt Lake’s population exploded; the city was coming of age and changing pretty rapidly. There was a theme of replacement. Planners led the way. A lot of it was inspired by AIA Utah, proactively planning cities after the war,” Ewanowski said. Mid-Century Modern Architecture is certainly not universally appreciated. Critics consider the modernist buildings cold, plain and mundane. Cornell said, “It is very functional, not constrained by the rules and regulations of classical architecture. It has to stand on its own two feet. It is laid bare.” Ewanowski said, “Modernism was an approach that was meant to be achievable and built for the masses. But making something simple is very difficult.” Architects and builders were experimenting with materials, like concrete, both in the structure and the aesthetic of the building. It takes effort to gain an appreciation for modernism as the aesthetic has a lot to do with the function. Ewanowski said, “You have to like the clean lines, the natural light, the materials speaking for themselves. It is a movement that is looking to the future — creating forms that characterize the future. The International Style has a balance to it — it is an interplay of vernacular forms. People will say it is “just so ugly,” yet current Steven Cornell, AIA John Ewanowski, AIA 18 REFLEXION
and lack of traditional ornament — all hallmarks of the era. The local architect was Slack Winburn. Modernism evolved constantly during the period. There are styles, substyles and variations created specifically for this area. For instance, Bob Browning designed the Steiner American Building at 505 East South Temple, with brick and concrete to fit into the South Temple aesthetic and pressed it into the hillside so it would not have an overbearing presence with its neighbors. Some buildings were embellished with stonework that reflects a Salt Lake‑specific regionalism and that developed independently. The authors noted that there is a transient nature to most buildings, and this seems particularly true of the commercial and institutional buildings that were constructed during this 30year period in Salt Lake City. Many have been demolished. The iconic Fisher Brew House only lasted until the 1970s. A lot of the buildings at the University of Utah were designed and built quickly. As a result, sometimes the materials didn’t hold up very well. “They were not sustainable in the truest sense of the word,” Ewanowski said. Renovating and upgrading Modern buildings to meet contemporary seismic and building codes is expensive, as it is for buildings built previous to this era, and often owners do not see the value in preserving these structures even though most have reached the 50-year point where they can be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Nonetheless, iconic buildings like First Security Bank and the Steiner American have been placed on the National Register and seismically upgraded in recognition of the contributions they have made to Salt Lake City’s built environment and have been renovated to meet contemporary commercial needs. Salt Lake architects that they recognize as having contributed to the modernist movement include Slack Winburn, John Sugden, Lloyd Snedeker and many of the early grads of the University of Utah’s Architecture School, which was founded by Roger Baily. This includes architects whose work spans both the mid-century period and the later 20th century, like Jim Christopher and Jud Daniels. The road to publication was dogged but not altogether smooth. In addition to the disruptive effect of the pandemic, on March 18, 2020, Salt Lake City had a 5.7 magnitude earthquake. The earthquake significantly damaged the Rio Grande Depot that houses the Utah State Historical Society’s Reading Room, interrupting their research. The materials had to be relocated to safeguard them during the reconstruction. After the new facility was opened, Cornell and Ewanowski worked diligently with the Historical Society’s staff to identify, access, select and gain permission to use over 180 photographs that were published in “Salt Lake City’s Modern Architecture.” Arcadia, the same publisher that produced Allen Roberts’s “Salt Lake City’s Historic Architecture,” published Cornell and Ewanowski’s book. The three architects/ preservationists worked together at CRSA — an architecture firm with a specialty in historic and existing buildings. Since then, Roberts has retired, and Cornell and Ewanowski have moved to other firms. Cornell said, “Although we didn’t work with Allen on this effort, this book might be considered a continuation of his work. The format of Roberts’s ‘Historic Architecture’ matched what we wanted to do. It’s a follow-up.” Cornell and Ewanowski focused on commercial and institutional architecture from the period. Although there are some multi-unit residences in the book, single-family mid-century homes are so ubiquitous and currently fashionable that it would “require another book.” Copies of “Salt Lake City’s Modern Architecture” can be purchased online or at local booksellers such as The King’s English Bookshop (www.kingsenglish.com) and Weller Book Works (www.wellerbookworks.com). 19
In Memoriam Lynn Woodbury, AIA 1952-2023 Born June 24, 1952, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Wallace Richards Woodbury and Beverley Clair Beesley. Lynn spent his youth golfing, creating mischief with “the boys” (lifelong friends) and being an East High champion swimmer. Lynn joined the family firm — the Woodbury Corporation — first when he was in high school as a drafter. Woodbury is a development and management business that has thrived for over 100 years. The Dave Charles Robinson, AIA 1947-2023 Dave was born in Alliance, Ohio, on Sept. 23rd, 1947, to Catherine and Ralph Robinson, the second of their five children. In 1965, Dave graduated from Marlington High School and received firm has a diverse portfolio that includes retail, office, hotel, multi-family housing, senior living, student housing and mixeduse projects. Lynn was determined to become an architect from a young age. Following a year in the National Guard and a twoyear mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico City, Mexico, Lynn pursued his business degree and Master of Architecture at the University of Utah. On June 5, 1978, Lynn married his sweetheart, Cecily Elaine Carter, in the Salt Lake City temple. He continued working with Woodbury during his college years and grew to play a critical role in the business, leading the design and construction division. In 1985, Lynn suffered a spinal cord injury in a trampoline accident, which left him paralyzed for 38 years. Despite the challenges this brought, he maintained his optimism and never allowed his injury to define him. Lynn played a crucial role in the family business. As his brother, Jeff, said, “He was involved in residential, office, hotels, a lot of retail, medical and industrial — Lynn was involved in every type of project we did. He had a unique way of thinking three-dimensionally. He had a vision of how even complicated sites and complicated projects could happen. Lynn had a way of coming up with an initial concept on a site that was very practical, very economical and very insightful. Even though he couldn’t draw in his later years, he was instructing other people to draw his vision. Lynn would save us a lot of money just because he could see by looking at the topo map and looking at the site how he could balance it. That vision is really the talent that made him so valuable throughout his career, both before and after the accident.” Lynn is survived by his cherished wife Cecily; children Michael (Marianne), Elizabeth and Chelsea (Matt); grandchildren Katherine, Alex, Elizabeth, Zoe, Lucy, Lyla, Emmett and Nina; and brothers W. Richards (Becky) and Jeff (Sonia). his degree in architecture from the University of Cincinnati in 1971, a passion he pursued his whole life. A licensed architect for over 45 years, Dave was a longstanding member of the American Institute of Architects. He had a wide range of experience with a variety of building types and practiced architecture for national and international firms throughout his career. In 1993, he founded his own firm, Dave Robinson Architects, while living in Salt Lake City, Utah with his wife, Anne Smart. Over the course of the next 30 years, Dave Robinson designed over four million square feet of commercial and industrial real estate from master planning through to construction and completion in the state of Utah. Dave passed peacefully on May 3, 2023, comfortably in his home and surrounded by loved ones. He was a brother, son, husband, father, and often called “Sir Grandpa” by his grandchildren. Generous and reliable, he was admired for his kindness, his thoughtfulness and, above all, his unwavering work ethic. An avid reader and lifelong student of history, Dave is remembered for the large tomes he was known to lug around and his mastery of words. He was a soft-spoken man whose sharp, whip-like wit was easy to miss if you didn’t know to listen for it. Dave is survived by his wife, two of his children — Peter and Amy — his six grandchildren and his four siblings, all of whom loved him greatly and will miss him dearly. He will be welcomed into his next life by his son, Steve Robinson, and his beloved daughter, Jessica Bailey, both of whom preceded him in death. 20 REFLEXION
Robert Pett, AIA 1953-2023 The family of Robert Nilson Pett was heartbroken to share the news of his unexpected death at age 70 on Oct. 31, 2023. Rob was born on Mother’s Day, May 10, 1953, to Marjorie Nilson Pett and Stuart Brandon Pett Sr., the youngest of four siblings. Rob attended William Penn Elementary, Evergreen Jr. High and Olympus High Scott Theobald, AIA 1953-2023 Scott Theobald passed away on Feb. 26, 2023, a few days before his 70th birthday. At his retirement in 2018, he was the Senior Vice President of Design West Architects in Logan, Utah. Scott was born and raised in California. After high school, his family moved to New York, where he obtained a Fine Arts degree from the State University of New York. In 1979, he received a Master of Schools and received his Master of Architecture degree from the University of Utah in 1980. Upon graduation, Rob joined FFKR Architects, where he worked until 1994, at which point he joined MJSA Architects as a shareholder. He became president of MJSA in 2005 and remained so until his retirement in 2018 after 25 years with the firm. Rob loved his profession and deeply respected his associates and clients. Notable projects where Rob was lead architect were Governor’s Mansion Restoration, David Keith Mansion Restoration, Utah State Capitol Gold Room Restoration, Safe Haven for Valley Mental Health, Provo City Library, C. Roland Christensen Building at the University of Utah, Carmen B. Pingree School, Utah State Capitol Restoration and the O.C. Tanner Flagship Store. He was also proud of his work with the Natural History Museum of Utah. He served on numerous boards and received many awards for his work. No project was too big or too small for his exacting work, be it the Delta Center or a friend’s birdhouse. He was a hardworking, respected architect inside and outside of the community and was at a job site on the day he died. The family would like to extend their deepest gratitude to the contractors who tried to save him and cared for him after he died. He and Kathryn (Snedaker) Holmes married in 1997 (later divorced) and together raised Sarah Snedaker and their own two sons, Robbie and Michael. Rob was proud of and loved his kids, and they loved him in return, “If you knew my dad, you know how silly and witty he was. I am so grateful I got to have him as my dad.” Rob is survived by his sons Robbie (wife Madison and baby Rowan) and Michael (Celestria); stepdaughter Sarah (Joe); siblings Susan (Mary), Stuart (Virginia) and Rip (Claire); lifelong best friend John Felt and dear friend Robyn Seldin; many adored cousins, nieces, nephews and beloved friends. Architecture degree from the University of Utah, and then returned to New York for four years. While working in Rochester, Scott married his wife, Jan, and also developed his lifelong professional love for Historic Preservation and the design of Performing Arts facilities. Scott joined Design West in March 1983. During the 1983 Christmas break at Utah State University, a fire severely damaged the North Wing of Old Main, the original academic building on campus. Old Main was designed, in part, by K. C. Schaub, Design West’s founder in 1892. Scott’s historic preservation experience helped Design West win the assignment to help USU save their flagship building. Over the next 15 years, Scott led three major projects to rehabilitate the entire 156,000 square‑foot historic building. In 1985, Scott Theobald filled a substantial leadership void when Richard Clyde died in a plane crash. Scott continued the company’s K-12 school design throughout the western states and its associated Energy Conservation initiatives. He became a principal of the firm in 1994. Among Scott’s significant projects was Design West’s first YearRound Education school in Oxnard, California, the Eccles Performing Arts Center in Park City and major projects for the Ellen Eccles Theatre and the Utah Theater. Scott was a key member of Design West’s 2002 Winter Olympics Housing project team at the University of Utah. That led to many Student Housing projects, including an 11-year assignment at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, Colorado. Scott demonstrated a remarkable diversity of interests and capabilities. He was the company’s primary Specification Write and the Manager of Quality Control at Design West. Many young architects learned the hard way from Scott’s merciless redlining of their construction documents. Scott’s relationship with on-site superintendents always started with the declaration that “My only job is to help make you successful,” and he defined success as, “Projects which are delivered on time, on budget, without major issues.” 21
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