Long Time Coming

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Long Time Coming

The sparkling new 26-story Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City will have a multi-generational impact on the local hospitality market and gives downtown another inspiring landmark.
By Brad Fullmer

It’s been a long…time…comin’

It’s goin’ to be a long…time…gone

— Crosby, Stills & Nash; Long Time Gone (’69)

The wait is over.

Salt Lake City’s desire for a convention center hotel to fuel future economic growth in the state’s all-important hospitality and tourism markets has been fulfilled on a grand scale, with the recent completion of a generational hotel that without question raises the bar on luxury accommodations in Utah’s capital.

Indeed, the 25-story (plus one level of underground parking), nearly 700,000-SF Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City is already the talk of the (down)town with its dynamic all-glass façade that offers optimum reflectivity. The high-performance glass has high R-values and low solar heat gain coefficient numbers, to go along with its reflective properties. This character allows the façade to respond to and capture the surrounding atmosphere, creating ever-changing aesthetics of the building from sunny to rainy days and from day to night times.

Floor-to-ceiling windows in every space allow guests to enjoy dramatic views in all directions of downtown Salt Lake, while capturing the grand mountain scenery of the Wasatch and Oquirrh ranges.

“Capturing the views of Salt Lake City was the most important [aspect],” for the design team, said Irene Sourbeer, Sr. Associate with Atlanta-based Portman Architects, who along with Gordon Beckman, Portman Architects Director of Design, came up with preliminary hotel design ideas that went through myriad conceptual reviews, up to 50+ iterations.

Sourbeer, who moved from Atlanta to Silicon Valley right before the pandemic in 2020 (which greatly cut her weekly commute time to SLC for project team meetings), said much time was spent choosing a glass that would meet the most stringent building demands of form and function. The project includes other sustainable aspects that comply with the Commercial Property-Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program.

“The colors and reflectivity had a lot to do with the fact we wanted to be energy-conscious,” she said. “All-glass buildings typically are not environmentally friendly because of heat gain. We went through many glass types—this one is a high-performance glass with slight reflectivity which echoes the surrounding environment,” she said. “The façade changes every day. If you capture it at the right moment, it is complete transparency. Sometimes it’s clear, sometimes it’s a mirror ball.”

The Hyatt Regency marks the fifth hotel/hospitality project—all of them feature all-glass façades—completed by the four-headed entity of co-developers Portman Holdings of Atlanta and Colorado-based Hensel Phelps Development and the design and construction team of Portman Architects and Hensel Phelps Construction. That list includes the likes of Hilton San Diego Bayfront (2008), the Intercontinental San Diego (2018) and Hotel Indigo Denver (2017), and Lane Field North (2016).

Glass buildings are nothing new for both Portman entities, said Ali Streetman, Vice President for Portman Holdings, a nod to the legacy of founder John C. Portman, Jr.

Portman was a legendary architect from Atlanta who started Portman Architects in 1953 and was known for pioneering the role of architect as developer, allowing him more latitude in implementing design concepts into projects. He designed many prominent hospitality projects, including three iconic downtown Atlanta hotels—the Hyatt Regency, Marriott Marquis and Westin Peachtree Plaza—that anchor the bustling 14-block Peachtree Center, which began in 1960. The latter was designed/developed by Portman, a magnificent 73-story, 723-foot all-glass circular tower (187-foot-diameter) that opened in 1976 and is the 4th-tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere (30th tallest hotel in the world).

“Design-wise, Portman loves to do full-height glass,” said Streetman, a 24-year veteran of the firm who also worked on the previous four hotel projects. “It takes it from a standard room to an amazing room. You get the views, the surround experience, it brings light into the space. It makes everything nicer on the interior. We do a lot of glass. It’s generally an office building façade look, but it’s nice to bring it to the hospitality side. It’s always a ‘wow’ moment when people come into the hotel.”

The façade, while brilliant as a design concept, was “challenging for a number of reasons” to execute, said Adam Noelck, Project Manager for Hensel Phelps. “Our team allowed us to do some incredible things—there were 4,125 pieces of glass on the job. [Steel Encounters] did an exceptional job on the installation, and it takes those types of partners to build these landmark buildings.”

“This was right in our wheelhouse,” said Charlie Thomas, Project Manager for Steel Encounters, who said his crews installed a combined 333 units of unitized curtain wall sections and window wall units primarily from January 2021 to February 2022 on the main tower.

According to Thomas, levels 1, 4 and 26 were particularly challenging to install as they feature oversized curtain wall units up to 23 ft. tall and loaded with steel, that made them heavy and difficult to maneuver as they were upwards of 2,000 pounds each. Thomas also cited overhead structural cantilever elements that required precise placement, tucking units into spaces not accessed by the tower crane.

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The Contribution Cocktail Lounge on the first floor just off the main lobby is highlighted with exquisite décor and offers sublime sunset views to the west. (left) The lobby is warm and inviting, instantly connecting guests with the hotel’s character (photos courtesy Hensel Phelps).

Timing, Planning, Execution Key to Combating Difficult Climate

Talk of a convention center hotel in Salt Lake dates back well over two decades. Streetman said Portman had started initial discussions before the Great Recession of 2008-10 but didn’t get fully serious about it until five years ago when all four entities started the collaboration process.

Their timing proved fortuitous, with final funding coming through at the tail end of December 2019, according to Tyler Reagan, Development Manager for Hensel Phelps Development. Had funding been delayed another three months when the pandemic fully hit, the project wouldn’t have seen the light of day, period.

“Nobody knew what was going to happen in March,” said Reagan, citing the ‘big three’ factors—pandemic, supply chain woes, labor pool constraints—that made construction difficult for the entire industry over the past two years. “If this job hadn’t financed until March, it wouldn’t be here. We hit [the schedule] on the day and delivered it under budget.”

John Cowan, Operations Manager for Hensel Phelps, said pre-planning meetings between designers and contractors across the board started well in advance of the actual January 2020 groundbreaking, which proved crucial in navigating the project through the pandemic.

“The entire team was engaged in planning on this project for over a year before construction began,” said Cowan. “The time we put into planning is what got us through the difficult times of 2020 and delivered an on-time completion.”

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The Hyatt Regency provides guests incredible views of Salt Lake City and its surrounding environment. Guest rooms are bathed in light and decked out in tasteful, modern furniture and amenities as displayed in a main room and bathroom (photos by ShutterScorpion).

Top Shelf Amenities, Sleek Design Elements Provide Significant “Wow Factor”

Convention center hotels are designed to pop, and Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City delivers that “wow factor” on multiple levels.

In addition to the combination of 700 rooms and suites on floors 7-25, the hotel is equipped with 31 multifunctional event spaces totaling 60,000 SF and highlighted by two massive ballroom spaces—the Regency Ballroom clocks in at a mammoth 23,015 SF. Sourbeer said every space is carefully planned to account for pre-and-post functions in addition to main ballroom events.

“There is an efficiency of the floor plans,” said Sourbeer. “To make the project feasible financially there is no wasted space in the building—it is efficiently stacked. It was strategical to design public areas next to glass. There was a lot of fine tuning to find the right balance (between form and function). Portman Holdings is good at understanding how to make beautiful outcomes while making the building efficient.”

The ballrooms are unique for their huge ceiling heights—22 ft. and 20 ft., respectively—and floor-to-ceiling glass on the south façade. The warm, inviting hotel lobby and reception area is highlighted with luxury stone and wood finishes, along with eclectic furniture and artwork. Amenities include four dining outlets—highlighted by Spanish-eatery Mar|Muntanya and the swanky Contribution Bar—a 24-hour fitness center, and outdoor pool and event terrace, and one level of underground parking. The “broadcast lounge” adjacent to the Recency Ballroom has two large digital TVs and plenty of space for guest to step outside and conduct business while maintaining connection to the main event.

Interior public spaces are laid out for intuitive wayfinding with copious amount of glass allowing for maximum natural light and outside views, providing an interesting urban context to people on the outside.

“I love that it has made a significant impact on the Salt Lake skyline in a positive way,” said Jodi Geroux, Sr. Associate with Salt Lake-based FFKR Architects and Project Manager on Hyatt Regency. “You drive toward it from any (direction) and it is prominent! All of the spaces in the hotel are truly inviting. This project is amazing […] it’s the beginning of a new Salt Lake City.”

FFRK served as the local architect and worked on interior spaces on floors 7-25 (guestroom floors), along with permitting, approvals and quality assurance. Geroux praised Sourbeer and the design team from Portman and said the working relationship between the firms was exceptional.

“She was amazing,” Geroux said of Sourbeer, “and just remained calm under all circumstances. A shout out to the contractor (Hensel Phelps), too. They made no excuses through the pandemic, and then supply chain issues […] they came up with solutions that were acceptable to the design team and owner and delivered the project on time and on budget. In today’s day and age that’s remarkable.”

Solid Foundation

The hotel’s structure is comprised of cast-in-place concrete and structural steel with auger-cast pile foundations. Mechanical and electrical systems consist of a 15kV electrical service with multiple air handling units, energy recovery ventilation, three 900-ton chillers, and four-pipe vertical fan coil units serving each guestroom.

The foundation offered a host of challenges for Salt Lake-based Okland Construction, which served as the concrete subcontractor. The firm installed 1.2 million pounds of concrete reinforcing steel ahead of a giant 8,100 CY concrete pour for the post mat slab, which required five concrete batch plants and more than 90 concrete trucks over 13.5 hours, making it one of the largest single placements in Salt Lake’s history.

Another challenge was construction of the podium structure for the building’s ballrooms. To achieve the open “column-less” space in these ballrooms, design called for the installation of 13 long-span steel trusses each weighing approximately 190,000 pounds. Tight site constraints made the safe and efficient erection of these trusses a herculean accomplishment for steel fabricator/erector Schuff Steel of Lindon. To ensure safety, it required the installation of 28 shoring towers below the level one concrete deck in conjunction with structural steel grillage above the level one concrete deck, all to support a 300-ton crawler crane that erected the trusses. In total, the weight of the crane and one truss section exceeded 1.29 million pounds.

The project team also performed nearly 20,000 individual laser scans of various components of the project, equating to more than one scan per 35 SF of building to ensure quality control and mitigate building conflicts.

Memorable Once-in-a-Generation Project

During a post-grand opening tour of the hotel in November with Noelck, Cowan, Streetman and Reagan, each admitted to this project being something of a “one-off” in their respective careers, based partly on the unique environment fostered by the necessary response to Covid-19, but also on how effective the entire project team was in consistently hitting project deadlines, and the actual enjoyment of seeing a project of this magnitude come to fruition over an exhausting three-year period.

“Our industry is unique in that all jobs we do have their own unique flavor and ‘fun factor’ so to speak,” said Noelck. “What’s cool about this job […] the team we brought together to build it was a really fun group to work with. With all the challenges that were presented to us, [our response] was always [to do] what’s in the best interest for the job. To work with that type of team and build a landmark job like this is really fun. It’s a beautiful building.”

“A lot of the projects we build, the public doesn’t get to see,” said Cowan. “A project like this is great because it’s so public, and so many people get to see it and enjoy it. These are neat projects to be involved with.”

“This has been the most complicated project in terms of capital stack and getting it to come together,” added Reagan. “You throw in what happened in March 2020 and it became the most complicated project most of us had to deal with in our careers. At the end of the day, it’s a landmark project and it is changing the landscape of the city. We nailed the landing—we can all hang our hat on that.”

“This was a very complicated project from start to finish,” Streetman concluded. “Watching it come out of the ground every day was very rewarding in the environment we were in. We created a real camaraderie during Covid that I think wouldn’t have occurred during normal times. Because we were all together, all the time. It was very much like a family.”

Sourbeer also praised the tight collaboration of the project team.

“The best thing about this project was the partnership between owner, contractor and architect,” she said. “In this industry they call it the three-legged stool. We were like one big stump. We knew what we wanted to achieve and how to get there.”

Salt Lake-based Okland Construction was the concrete contractor on the project, which included a giant 7,500 CY consecutive pour for the mat slab, which required more than 90 concrete trucks over a 13.5-hour period— making it one of the largest single placements in Salt Lake City’s history.

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Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City

Location: 170 S. West Temple

Cost: $377 million

Delivery Method: CM-at-Risk

Stories/Levels: 26

Square Footage: 686,784 SF

Project Team

Co-Developer: Portman Holdings

Co-Developer: Hensel Phelps Development

GC: Hensel Phelps Construction Co.

Design Team

Design Architect: Portman Architects; Irene Sourbeer, PM (Architect of Record for core/shell, public areas, BOH)

Local Architect: FFKR Architects; Jodi Geroux, PM (Architect of Record for guestrooms, interface w/convention center)

Civil Engineer: PSOMAS

Electrical Engineer: Spectrum Engineers

Mechanical Engineer: VBFA

Structural Engineer: Magnusson Klemencic Assoc.

Geotechnical Engineer: Kleinfelder

Interior Design: Looney & Assoc., Parts and Labor Design

Construction Team

GC: Hensel Phelps Construction Co.

Concrete: Okland Construction

Plumbing/HVAC: J&S Mechanical

Electrical: Cache Valley Electric

Masonry: Child Enterprises

Drywall: Standard Drywall

Painting: Grow Painting

Tile/Stone: Castle Rock Int. Solutions

Millwork: Fetzer, Inc.

Flooring: Diversified Flooring

Roofing: Utah Tile & Roofing

Glass/Curtain Wall: Steel Encounters

Waterproofing: Rocky Mountain Waterproofing

Steel Fabrication & Erection: Schuff Steel

Excavation: SIRI Contracting

Demolition: A-Core Concrete Cutting

< Older Post Newer Post >

Robust Growth Fuels Lehi City's Development

By Brad Fullmer • 01 Mar, 2024

Adobe’s 680,000 SF Lehi Campus is an iconic project in Lehi that was completed in two phases, with the first phase opening at the beginning of 2013 and signaling a new era of development along the Silicon Slopes corridor. (photo by Dana Sohm) Inset: Aerial view showing an illustration of Texas Instruments’ new 300 mm semiconductor wafer manufacturing plant—referred to as “LFAB2”—which broke ground last November and marks the single largest investment (over $11 billion) in state history. (photo courtesy Texas Instruments)

Forging Ahead

By Brad Fullmer • 01 Mar, 2024

Work continues to grind forward on the mammoth new Salt Lake City Water Reclamation Facility (WRF)—a critical $850 million project being built by a joint venture of the Salt Lake regional offices of Sundt Construction and PCL Construction that will replace the current facility in North Salt Lake once it's turned over to SLC's Department of Utilities (SLCDPU) in July 2026. As it stands, this is the second-largest project in City history, trailing only the recent $2 billion-plus Salt Lake International Airport Redevelopment (Phases 3-4 ongoing), and one of the most technically challenging projects in the state. "We are up for the challenge every day—the magnitude of this thing is unreal," said Manny Diaz, Project Manager for Salt Lake-based Sundt, as he drove around the massive 30-acre site in late-January, a worksite teeming with 300 current employees (it will peak at 400 workers this summer) and myriad complicated structures being built simultaneously. Diaz is a long-time veteran of the water reclamation facility industry—this project marks plant No. 26 in his own personal history—and he was brought in a year ago by Sundt because of his expertise. When he arrived in Salt Lake at the beginning of last year, it was right smack dab in the middle of what proved to be a record-breaking year for snowfall. "It was quite a welcome to Utah!" Diaz chuckled. "We keep very close tabs on the weather." And while crews haven't been subjected to the same inclement weather this winter, site conditions are still generally wet and muddy, and the difficulties associated with building the various structures are constant. Crews are nearing the halfway mark, so certainly it's a milestone worth acknowledging, even though a mountain of construction is still left to climb. "It's such a huge accomplishment to be this far," said Jason Brown, Deputy Director of Public Utilities for SLC. "We've faced a lot of challenges, Covid, material shortages [...] it's amazing to be part of a team that works so well together. We still have a long way to go, but we'll get there. We've made a lot of progress and should be proud, but it's hard to celebrate success with so much work still ahead." Diaz, along with PCL Project Manager Shayne Waldron, said crews recently achieved a major milestone: one million hours worked, a notable accomplishment. “Achieving the ‘one million hours worked’ milestone is a testament to the coordination and collaboration required of a project this size," said Brown, adding that the new WRF project benefits from regular and ongoing staff collaboration, under the watch of Sundt/PCL, designers AECOM and Jacobs, and SLCDPU leadership. “This [milestone] is the culmination of many different efforts,” added Mauricio Ramos, District Manager for PCL’s Civil Infrastructure Division. “From local engineers to pipe layers, journeymen, construction trade workers, foremen, and general laborers, every team member has been instrumental in reaching this benchmark. The collaboration between PCL and Sundt has been a testament to our shared commitment to excellence and innovation.” "Our crews are working together seamlessly to ensure that the final product meets the goals and needs of the community," said Sam Reidy, Senior VP and District Manager for Sundt. "Celebrating this milestone recognizes the hard work and commitment each member of the project team has made to this project and the Sundt/PCL partnership." Diaz and Waldron said soil conditions challenged the team right out of the gate and took significant time to stabilize the site. "At the very beginning, the project was designed to be built on top of where the sludge beds were at, but it turns out the sludge beds were on shaky ground," said Diaz. "This whole area is young in age, so it's all soft clays and sands," added Waldron. "Soft clays are compressible, so the big issue is settling. It would have [cost] $80 million in piles to shore it up, and then in between buildings you have all the pipe and utility duct banks, so they would almost need to be built on piles." Waldron said the idea came up to pre-load the whole site, where crews built a flat pad, installed wick drains, then pre-loaded 30 ft. of dirt, with drains going down 125 feet and providing a way for water to be pushed out of the clay. "We had over seven feet of settlement," said Waldron. Crews also set up sophisticated monitoring equipment "to see where ground was settling and what layers were compressing the most. It was really scientific—a lot more than I've seen before." Diaz said it took six months to haul in the fill dirt where it remained in place for eight months, then took another six months to excavate out—close to one million yards of total material. It was an exhaustive process, with an average of 400 trucks per day and close to 500 trucks hauling 18,000 tons on the best day. Having a cohesive, highly collaborative team of designers and construction experts has been a boon to the project schedule. Once completed, Salt Lake City’s new WRF will serve over 200,000 residents as well as those who commute downtown to work or visit Utah's capital. It will replace the City’s current—and only—wastewater treatment facility, which is over 55 years old and near the end of its service life. Maintaining reliable operations at the existing facility while constructing the new WRF nearby has been critical for the project’s success. Since breaking ground in 2019, the project team has completed approximately 65% of structural concrete work as well as soil mitigation, deep foundation work, and the installation of underground utilities. In late January crews began excavating dual 63-in. diameter pipelines, along with a 78-in. effluent pipe that is being hauled one giant piece at a time from Canada, a new type of corrugated HDPE with welded joints that should provide greater durability. All in all, crews will ultimately pour 93,000 CY of concrete and install 22 million pounds of reinforcing steel, along with 89,000 LF of underground pipe ranging in diameter from 1.5-in. to 78-in. "The camaraderie among the team members allows for a very cohesive team," said Diaz. "The only way you can tell who works for who is by the color of the truck. We have a 'one project' mentality. The complexity of the job and being trusted to lead this effort [...] have been [important] for me. It's been a great job so far." Diaz, who said his first wastewater treatment plant was in North Miami Beach in the late 80s right after he graduated from college, hopes to remain in Utah once this job is completed and turned over to the client by mid-2026. “I plan on staying here and continue to work on treatment plants in Utah,” he said. “There’s a lot of work here. We have vast experience, and we have a lot of people who want to be in Utah—it’s a great place to live. Let’s do it!”

Let the Good Times Roll

By Brad Fullmer • 01 Mar, 2024

It's been more than 45 years (1978) since The Cars released their debut album highlighted by the wildly popular song Good Times Roll, but if there was ever a tune to sum up the general sentiment of local A/E/C professionals regarding Utah's 2024 Economic Outlook, Good Times Roll would be up there. "Our members are expecting another good year," said Joey Gilbert, President/CEO of the 650-member Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Utah. "For our contractors in both the building and highway markets, the outlook is good. Many still have decent backlogs to keep them busy through 2024 and in some cases, even 2025. The public sector is strong, and on the private side, owners are still investing in some big projects." Robert Spendlove, Chief Economist for Salt Lake-based Zions Bank, reported at the AGC's Economic Outlook meeting last November that commercial construction was up 1.6%, while Utah as a whole reported 2.5% growth overall, and believes both will continue to fare well in 2024. "Utah also has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the U.S. [2.5%]; when it gets too low, you get real struggles of labor shortages," he said. "It prevents companies from growing and is one of those defining economic characteristics of this past cycle. If we get above 4-5% we get nervous that it's a sign of a recessionary environment." Spendlove said tailwinds include strong consumer spending, a strong labor market, and an overall robust economic Intermountain West region, while headwinds could include a lack of new workers, government shutdowns, energy prices, and international uncertainty. Another bonus is that Utah remains one of the strongest states economically, regardless of what is happening nationally. "I would say uncomfortably optimistic," countered Dejan Eskic, Senior Research Fellow for the Kem Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah, citing a number of factors potentially slowing down the design and construction industry such as housing, labor, and material price fluctuations—basically the same post-Covid headwinds Utah-based firms have been battling the past couple of years. "On paper, we should have a decent economic year in Utah. Because it's an election year, it brings more optimism generally. Stock performance does better in an election year, jobs do better. You have to stick to those basics. Eskic has been with the Gardner Institute for eight years, including the past five in his current role, explained that some of the uncomfortableness facing the local economy stems from having virtually no labor pool in certain segments, including construction—which continues to face a dearth of skilled craftsmen in virtually all subcontractor trades. "We still have red flags," he said, noting concerns with still-high housing costs. "Maybe it's too early to call if we've cracked inflation. 2023 ended up way better than anybody expected—it was supposed to be a recession year, but the recession never came, and the labor market exceeded expectations. "I'm bullish on Utah," he added. "I look at the numbers and how we're going, and we're in a very strong growth pattern with the economy. Things will continue to expand." Indeed, despite nasty rising interest rates that put the brakes on some speculative development projects, Utah-based owners continued to plow ahead on projects, and by-and-large most market segments continued to see a healthy amount of activity as firms set about tackling healthy project backlogs.

Building Blocks

By Reuben Wright • 01 Mar, 2024

Crews working on bridge sections of the project did the majority of heavy-lifting—as seen with these giant cranes lifting heavy girders—during the wee hours of the night, part of UDOT’s expectations of keeping traffic moving by limiting road closures. (night photos by Kjell Gerber, BuildWitt)

Heart of a New City

By Brad Fullmer • 01 Mar, 2024

It's been a long time coming for elected officials and the citizens of Millcreek City, but their beloved $45 million, nearly 80,000 SF City Hall is finally complete, ending a lengthy five-year process that tested all parties involved but produced an awe-inspiring six-story building that will serve as the public heart of this rising community southeast of downtown Salt Lake. "It's awesome!" gushed Jeff Silvestrini, in reference to his view as he peered out across the Salt Lake Valley from his fourth-floor corner office, with captivating views via a complex glass curtain wall system highlighted with an intricate, highly functional screen shade. As the only mayor Millcreek City has known during its brief seven-year existence (it was incorporated Dec. 28, 2016), Silvestrini was recently re-elected for another four-year term (he ran unopposed) and has been a driving force behind this new project. "I could see this [view] was going to be amazing when I climbed up the crane when the concrete structure was going up. Standing on the exposed sixth floor before the curtain wall went up, I was humbled at this monumental undertaking for a new city. What we do as a city government is serve the people. We can serve the people much better in a facility like this." Unique Municipal Design Fosters Public Engagement with a "Downtown" Feel Millcreek City Hall builds upon the momentum created by the adjacent Millcreek Common to the east (opened in December 2022) to create an actual "Downtown" or "City Center" space at the bustling area of 3300 South between 1300 East and Highland Drive, which includes a host of exciting new nearby multi-family and mixed-use developments under construction. The project leverages a public-private partnership (PPP) with a local developer on an adjacent shared parking garage, along with the much-needed residential housing. Silvestrini said City leaders "did not contemplate putting City Hall here" initially, but public feedback made it clear residents wanted a downtown area to call their own. Millcreek Common—replete with an ice ribbon, splash pad, and room for food trucks—was planned as a public plaza space and has been wildly popular since its completion in late 2022. Residents also wanted City Hall to have real spaces for the public, not just a strictly-government facility, which provided exciting design opportunities for Salt Lake-based MHTN Architects, which initially worked with City officials in 2017-18 on a City Center Master Plan, which came about via a grant through the Wasatch Front Regional Council, according to Ryan Wallace, Principal-in-Charge for MHTN. "It's located roughly in the geographic center of the community and easily accessed by vehicle, transit, and active transportation—it's something that can unite the community," said Wallace. "The client has created four projects in one," aided by a vertical building mixed-use approach on the narrow footprint, a key to allowing optimum future adjacent development. "We realized early on that there was an opportunity to build a true civic center," added Silvestrini. "The more we thought about it, the more it made sense." The commitment to having a true community building is evident on the first floor, which includes a coffee house, a restaurant, and a flex public market with rotating businesses. "[City leaders] wanted an activating ground floor use that would support their idea of a downtown," said Wallace. "They didn't want City Hall to only be active 8-to-5 and then a dead zone at night." City officials and MHTN staff also drew inspiration on a tour of the new City Hall in Lenexa, Kansas, which includes adjacent common space and a ground floor retail/public market. "Everyone seemed to be thinking on the same wavelength," said Peggy McDonough, MHTN President who served as Project Executive on Millcreek City Hall. "We all felt like this was a completely unique project, unlike any other city hall that we've been a part of, and the second that has a market level. It's being looked at as an example of good development." While level 1 is sure to be a hit with Millcreek residents and visitors over time, levels 2 through 5 showcase the versatility and functionality of the project, with all essential government functions for Millcreek City, along with Unified Police and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Unified Police is housed on level 2 and utilizes a one-level sally port/private garage under the building (another bonus of the PPP parking garage). Millcreek City is housed on levels 3-5, with the top floor—level 6—serving as prime community space highlighted by the Grandview community room and its opulent Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) roof that evokes a natural warmth throughout the space.

AIA Utah 2024

By Fran Pruyn • 01 Mar, 2024

For the first time in its 103-year history, The Utah Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Utah) has a fully female executive leadership team. It wasn’t intentional, as Past-President Jessica Hoffman stated, “That is who stepped up.” And more importantly, these women have an aggressive plan for serving the entire, very diverse, association. "I'm very excited—we have a great team!" said Chamonix Larsen, Salt Lake City/Denver Department Manager for Morrison Hirschfield, who will serve as 2024 President. "They are all very passionate about what they do, and how architecture can make positive changes in our community." AIA Utah also has a new Executive Director, with Angie Harris Roberts coming on board last spring in a part-time role that transitioned to full-time in October. She is charged with overseeing industry legislation and streamlining AIA services such as providing standard contract documents, sponsoring educational events, and hosting conferences that communicate new design ideas, technologies, and initiatives. Larsen has targeted adding value to members and increasing public outreach scope as her focus for the upcoming year. One particularly exciting (and needed) project proposes a mentorship program that utilizes the talents of the AIA fellows and partnering organizations. The staff and board have applied for a grant and approached local firms for matching funds to build a long-term, multi-generational program, that assists mentees to achieve licensure faster and stay in the profession. Working through the Young Architects Forum and the American Institute of Architects Students, the program will enlist the talents of Utah AIA Fellows, the National Organization of Minority Architects, and Women in Architecture, connecting seasoned architects with emerging professionals. They will answer questions and give guidance and counsel on matters ranging beyond making design decisions and locating answers to technical questions, to how to craft career paths and find professional satisfaction. "We've been through some changes, and having a new executive director is exciting as well," added Larsen. "Coming out of the pandemic, it's been about reconnecting with everybody and improving our organizational excellence. It's important to me that we run as efficiently as possible, given that we rely on volunteers. We have an opportunity to dive into what firms need, and how we can better serve our members." Larsen addressed staffing, having access to quality talent, and attracting more skilled architects to the state as key topics. The outlook for Utah remains solid, she said, albeit with some tempered expectations in some markets (multi-family, industrial) which may see projects put on hold until interest rates soften. Utah's continued growth, steady economy, and the prospect of another Salt Lake Winter Olympics raises optimism for the foreseeable future. Leadership is also committed to helping sister organizations with programs aimed at stimulating interest in architecture from outside the industry and providing a pipeline of talent from a diversity of backgrounds into the industry. This includes encouraging programs in elementary schools to educate children about the role of architecture in a community, collaborating on youth mentoring events, and fostering NOMA’s effort to bring architects from underrepresented groups into the College of Fellows. 2024 AIA Utah Leadership President – Chamonix Larsen, AIA is an experienced architect with a diverse professional background with 20+ years of experience including building envelope consulting, architectural design, technical design lead, project management, owner’s representative, and commissioning authority. She joined Morrison Hershfield’s Building Science Division in 2017 and manages building envelope consulting teams in Salt Lake and Denver. While at the State of Utah, Larsen oversaw the development and implementation of the DFCM's High Performance Building Standard and state-wide operational sustainability efforts. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of Utah College of Architecture and Planning. President Elect – Whitney Ward, AIA, LEED AP is a Principal at Salt Lake-based VCBO Architecture and has been with the firm since 2007. Ward embraces a holistic design approach and is an advocate for both community engagement and sustainable design. She also teaches Sustainable Development as an Adjunct Professor with the University of Utah City and Metropolitan Planning Department. Secretary – Natalie Shutts-Bank, AIA, RIBA is an experienced architect who thrives when navigating between the vastness of all creative possibilities and the real-world constraints of any design problem. She has worked multiple design typologies at a range of scales on higher education, civic, hospitality, healthcare, and large-scale residential projects. Treasurer – Libby Haslam, AIA, RIBA, LEED AP, NCARB is the founder of Studio Long Playing, an architectural firm that practices many typologies of spaces. The firm’s current focus is on higher education. Studio LP is also engaged in restaurant design and residential work, with the intent for collaboration with different artisans and art forms. She has been teaching studio as an Associate Professor (career-line) at the University of Utah School of Architecture since graduating from the U in 2001For the first time in its 103-year history, The Utah Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Utah) has a fully female executive leadership team. It wasn’t intentional, as Past-President Jessica Hoffman stated, “That is who stepped up.” And more importantly, these women have an aggressive plan for serving the entire, very diverse, association. "I'm very excited—we have a great team!" said Chamonix Larsen, Salt Lake City/Denver Department Manager for Morrison Hirschfield, who will serve as 2024 President. "They are all very passionate about what they do, and how architecture can make positive changes in our community."

CFC Supply 25th Anniversary

By LADD MARSHALL • 30 Nov, 2023

(left to right) Gene and Sue Larsen, their son Blake, and his wife, JaLynn, at the CFC Supply Christmas Party, made extra special this year with the firm’s 25th anniversary. (photos courtesy CFC)

The Real Business Never Changes

By Taylor Larsen • 30 Nov, 2023

UMC Announces 2023 Excellence in Masonry Awards

By Brad Fullmer • 30 Nov, 2023

Commercial Project--Honor 95 State at City Creek

High-tech Hexcel-lence

By B. H. Wright • 30 Nov, 2023

The days of the commercial industrial market consisting primarily of boring, staid (read: ugly) warehouse and manufacturing buildings are long gone, as employee-conscious corporations and forward-thinking real estate developers have been realizing the value of housing employees in spaces that sizzle with stylish interior designs with loads of on-site amenities. Hexcel Corporation did just that with the design of its most significant recent project in West Valley City, a $34 million, 105,000-SF facility dubbed the Center of Research & Technology Excellence, which includes the largest high-performance carbon fiber manufacturing plant in the world, along with housing Hexcel's aerospace matrix operations. The center is "designed to encourage and inspire our team to dream big and ensure that our customers are awarded the strongest, lightest weight, most durable advanced composites that the world has ever seen," said Nick Stanage, Hexcel Chairman, CEO and President. He said that when the Center opens, “you will be surrounded by everything it means to be a leader in advanced composites technology. You will see high-tech labs and cutting-edge research and testing equipment. Our lobby will showcase advancements and innovations that are propelling the future in commercial aerospace, space and defense, and industrial markets.” Sharp aesthetics and providing optimum working conditions are a must for employers in a market with a current state unemployment average hovering just over 2% and in a society where the workforce is increasingly opting to work remote (at home) either full-time, or with a hybrid/flex schedule. The primary objective of the facility is to serve as a catalyst for research and development in advanced composite technology, with a specific focus on aerospace, space, defense, and industrial applications. According to Mike Phillips, VP of Project Development at R&O Construction's Salt Lake office, the fast-track design-build seamlessly blended a tilt-up laboratory with a two-story Class A office building, illustrating the owner's attention to high quality and optimum design. "The entire team was focused on schedule and cost throughout the process, while meeting owner's requirements and needs. It was a very successful project." The facility's design transcends conventional manufacturing and research spaces. Instead of a stark separation between these functions, the building integrates both—fostering an environment where scientists and production personnel can collaborate seamlessly. This approach underscores Hexcel's commitment to innovation and how diverse functions can coexist within the same space. One of the project's most noteworthy contributions lies in its commitment to sustainability. Hexcel actively recycles carbon fiber prepreg composite cutoffs to produce composite panels that find applications in commercial markets. By upcycling and repurposing materials, the project demonstrates a forward-thinking approach to resource utilization and waste reduction. In a resourceful move, the tilt panels were utilized as the crane path to avoid potential soil issues. This approach was executed after thorough consultation with engineers, resulting in a seamless process with all panels standing within a short timeframe, without any compromise to structural integrity or aesthetic appeal. Exterior Trespa panels were strategically oriented to create a dynamic carbon checkerboard pattern, aligning with the aesthetic of Hexcel's innovative products. This deliberate choice not only showcases a visually striking design element but also reflects the company's commitment to excellence in composite materials. Tilt-up panels underwent a meticulous sandblasting process to enhance their carbon-like appearance. This technique, applied after curing and installation, contributes to the overall visual effect and reinforces the project's dedication to craftsmanship.