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Shovel Ready!

These can’t-miss projects showcase the latest and greatest design principles being built into the state’s newest schools, offices, apartments, and more.

North Capitol Building

Owners: DFCM, Capitol Preservation Board

Architect: VCBO Architecture

GC: Okland Construction

Estimated Completion Date: 2025

The North Capitol Building will complete the Utah State Capitol master plan’s vision as it replaces the 50-year-old State Office Building directly north of the Capitol. Comprising four stories over a basement, this 158,000-SF building is the home of numerous government offices, conference and meeting spaces, and the newly created Museum of Utah. The museum occupies the ground level, helping greet visitors entering the capitol grounds. The basement of the building houses a much-needed archive space that will protect some of Utah’s most valued artifacts.

The classically designed granite exterior closely matches the details of the original Capitol building designed by Richard Kletting. The base-isolated concrete structure will ensure the archive’s safety in Utah’s high seismic region while also accommodating for the heavy stone facade. The building’s four-story atrium will serve as a gateway for Capitol Hill guests and hold a grand staircase leading to the second-floor conference areas. Further north of the building sits a much-needed underground parking garage for use by both public and staff. Covering that plaza will be a landscaped plaza to help align the capitol grounds with the original intent of the historic Olmsted site design.

The State and design team are taking great care to ensure this building matches the dignity of the Utah Capitol and will last as an enduring addition to this historic and symbolic place.

Frederick Quinney Lawson Health Sciences Building

Owners: DFCM

Architect: Method Studio

GC: Layton Construction

Estimated Completion Date: August 2023

The proposed architecture and site design for the new building magnify Bridgerland Technical College’s mission to deliver competency-based, employer-guided career and hands-on technical education to support the Bear River Region. The building aligns with the college’s strategic plan to update and modernize facilities, programs, and equipment; build relationships; and promote and improve student success on their Logan campus. The new 75,000-SF space provides a timeless, modern cornerstone building with high-tech, purpose-built classrooms, labs, and support spaces for students and faculty. The building continues to elevate the important role of technical colleges in the community while also speaking to its specific healthcare purpose. The design is warm, inspiring, comfortable, sustainable and enhances wellness and learning as future students learn the importance of their role in healing. Careful use of texture, color, natural and artificial light, healthcare branding, organic materials, and connections to nature have been carefully considered and integrated.

Cyprus High School

Owner: Granite School District
Architect: ELEVATE (Joint venture between Naylor Wentworth Lund, architect of record, and Fanning Howey, partner architect)
GC: Westland Construction
Estimated Completion Date: August 2025

Cyprus High School is a 504,000-SF, three-story school under construction on a new, 57-acre site in Magna. The process began with workshops including administrators and community members in which core values and goals for the projects were shared and explored for the nearly 3,000 students that attend the high school. From these workshops, the team formed guiding principles and imperatives that inform the architecture of future Granite School District high schools—including Cyprus High.

As the school looks to incorporate more applied technology spaces, ELEVATE included rooms like mass-production-oriented wood shop, culinary arts-style foods lab, and metal shop focused on welding.

Other touches like floor to ceiling bathroom stalls aim to accommodate the privacy of students while classroom wings have large, open exterior collaboration space with visuals into the more traditional classroom spaces for team-focused school work.

Cyprus High School’s design features plenty of glass and plenty of daylight for the tilt-up concrete school with form liner for visual and physical texture. Copper exterior finishes reflecting the importance of copper mining in Magna.

4800 Lofts

Developer: IMH Companies, Next Level Homes
Architect: Beecher Walker
General Contractor: Pentalon Construction
Estimated Completion Date: Fall 2024

Located in Murray, 4800 Lofts is a new multi-family apartment and retail complex consisting of 371 apartment units and 18,000 SF of ground-level retail. The unit type in three of the buildings encompasses studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, with a fourth building being home to a club house, additional studio apartments, and retail. The property boasts extensive and expansive rooftop and mid-level amenity decks with pools, hot tubs, firepits, and gathering areas, creating a resort-like atmosphere for residents. A unique feature of the property will be the community’s ability to access some of the amenity spaces. “We wanted 4800 Lofts to be an integral part of the surrounding community so it felt only natural to invite the neighborhood to have use of some of the amenity decks, in addition to the retail,” said John D. Thomas, President of the Utah Division, IMH Companies.

Kem and Carolyn Gardner Crisis Care Center

Owners: Huntsman Mental Health Institute, University of Utah Health, DFCM

Architects: FFKR Architects, architecture+
GC: Okland Construction
Estimated Completion Date: May 2024

The center will be a 80,000-SF facility in South Salt Lake on a property dedicated to creating a Mental Health Campus for individuals in crisis or having acute mental health issues. The building includes a 30-chair receiving center with non-refusal police drop-off as an alternative to the emergency rooms or jail, a 24-bed acute stabilization inpatient unit, outpatient services, neuro-modulation services, pharmacy and lab services, and an integrated emphasis on research, education, and training. The project will provide world-class, comprehensive, human-centered psychiatric care through services that are accessible for individuals to stabilize and de-escalate during a mental health crisis, as well as a bridge to the community and mental health system for recovery.

The project provides the highest safety standards for psychiatric patients. The spaces throughout the project promote patient comfort, dignity, and hope. The interiors are thoughtfully designed to create a healing environment that reduces the stigma around seeking care for mental health and demonstrates an investment in treating individuals with psychiatric needs.

Emery High School

Owner: Emery County School District
Architect: KMA Architects
GC: Westland Construction
Estimated Completion Date: August 2024

The new Emery High School in Castle Dale will include approximately 143,000 SF of new construction and incorporate approximately 130,000 SF of existing construction from the school’s Spartan Center and auditorium. The project is a two-story masonry building with steel joists and deck complete with main commons area with an upper balcony, administration and counseling offices, classrooms and labs, and district training room on the upper floor. Beyond the formal education features, the school will be chock full of amenities for Emery County students, like a media center with adjoining education networking rooms, computer labs, a home economics area with food and sewing rooms, and more. The school also aims to help students prepare for future careers via a shop wing with metal, wood, and automotive shops. Outdoor school amenities on the furnished site will also include soccer fields, while the new football stadium, baseball fields, and fieldhouse were just completed during phase one of the project.

Oro Apartments

Owner: Thackeray Company

Architect: Architecture Belgique Inc.

GC: Big-D Construction

Estimated Completion Date: 2025

Oro is the Spanish word for gold, and Oro will set the gold standard for luxury apartment living in Sugarhouse. Sprawling the length of an entire block, this 4-on-3 structured podium boasts 316 units in studio, one-, and two-bedroom configurations. 20,000 SF of courtyard amenity space is a main attraction that includes a pool, spa, terraced landscaping, multiple outdoor kitchens, and an entire rooftop dog park. The courtyard connects to a two-story clubroom and fitness center. Oro's amenities don't stop there, the site provides a mixed-use space including a new state liquor store and two additional retail pads. While the development completely replaces the old Dryer's Ice Cream site, Oro nods in appreciation of the site's past and will prominently display restored versions of the Dryer's Ice Cream Cone and Snelgrove Signs.

Shoreline Middle School

Owner: Provo City School District

Architect: Curtis Miner Architecture

GC: Westland Construction

Estimated Completion Date: Summer 2024

The New Shoreline Middle School is a redesign for the Provo City School District that will replace the existing Dixon Middle School. The new school will house grades 6–8 and have a capacity of 1,200 students.

The 179,000-SF school is intended to provide a safe, secure, and inviting learning environment designed around a central commons and administration suite that is accessed through a secure entry vestibule. The layout has flexible multi-use spaces as well as traditional classroom environments, thus providing a variety of learning experiences that embrace modern learning strategies. Natural daylighting is brought into every classroom and teaching space, providing a positive and happy environment that stimulates creativity and learning.

Traverse Heights Office Building

Owner: Woodley Real Estate

Architect: Babcock Design

GC: Okland Construction

Estimated Completion Date: Early 2023

From conception, the motivation behind the Traverse Heights Office Building has been to create an ultra-unique, top-of-market workplace product that appeals to high net worth companies. Sited on a prominent bluff overlooking the I-15 corridor with views over the Wasatch Range, Traverse Heights has a dynamic form that reaches out over Utah Valley. Structurally, the building is entirely concrete—post-tension suspended slabs, columns, and shear walls. This not only avoided prohibitive lead times in the steel joist and deck market, but created an unparalleled interior space with flat slab ceilings and a clear height of 12 feet for the office. East-Asian techniques of asymmetry and balance inspired the building’s uninterrupted flow from exterior to interior. Taking advantage of sophisticated heating and cooling systems allowed the design team to create a façade made completely of vision glass spanning from floor to floor, with no opaque panels. Intensely involved at every turn, the ownership group drove the design team to execute their vision of beauty defined by a minimalist simplicity and an exceptional material palette.

West Haven Junior High School

Owner: Weber School District

Architect: Design West Architects

GC: Hogan & Associates Construction, Inc.

Estimated Completion Date: Ready for the 2024/2025 school year

To combat rising construction costs, the new West Haven Junior High School in Weber County features a straightforward, functional floor plan for the 172,000-SF facility. The reasonable and cost-effective design meets Weber School District’s needs via insulated concrete forms, providing a cost-effective strategy for top-notch building performance, longevity, energy efficiency, seismic stability, and acoustics. Its design strategically incorporates color, light, and materials throughout the school in creative ways, featuring vibrant paint and tiles, large way-finding graphics, glass garage doors, and flexible shared spaces to support and encourage a student-centered learning approach.

Core classrooms feature open, flexible configurations thanks to operable pocket doors that lead out to a large common area where students can collaborate in project-based study. The school also offers classrooms dedicated to science, sewing, cooking, ceramics, band/orchestra, drama, computer technology and education, metal shop, wood shop, and art. An acoustically tuned cafetorium with collapsible risers for auditorium performances doubles as a lunchroom for added value. The performance platform connects on stage to the performing arts classrooms for music and drama convenience.

Millcreek City Hall

Owner: Millcreek City

Architect: MHTN Architects

GMGC: Okland Construction

Estimated Completion: August 2023

Millcreek City’s theme “Connected by Nature” was embraced by the design team as a main guiding principle for the overall design. The new six-story building will house the city hall, police department, and dedicated areas for community members. The community areas consist of a market ground level for food and retail spaces and a community rooftop space with breathtaking views of surrounding mountains. Nature is represented throughout the building with the use of warm and earthy materials. The façade is articulated to give tribute to Mount Olympus and includes a rock-climbing wall for the community to use

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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.