Area 100,001 – 250,000 SF

Located on the southwest corner of the University of Utah’s historic Presidents Circle, the Crocker Science Center is the physical gateway to the university proper. EDA worked creatively to design a sensitive adaptation and expansion of the neoclassical library (constructed in 1935) and facilitate an exciting, collaborative environment for cutting-edge knowledge creation.

Our design supports the College of Science’s new science curriculum and delivery system with an innovative project and team-based approach to science pedagogy. Visual openness, blurred lab group boundaries, shared instrumentation and diverse social settings all inspire science and technology transfer, expanding scientific expertise beyond the traditions of respective disciplines. Visual openness, blurred lab group boundaries, shared instrumentation and diverse social settings all serve to inspire science and technology transfer – expanding scientific expertise beyond the traditions of respective disciplines. All teaching laboratories in the building are highly advanced and connected to group discussion areas in order to accommodate a wide-range of teaching styles and activities.

The state-of-the-art teaching facility houses the University of Utah’s College of Education, the Tanner Dance Program and College of Fine Arts. Additionally it features a new collaborative research area and new faculty and administrative offices for the College of Education. The space promotes cross-disciplinary collaboration through a well-conceived dynamic framework for bringing people together in a vibrant and inspiring setting. A single circulation spine connects the building’s entrances and public gathering areas, resulting in an internal "street" supporting meeting, socializing, dining and studying. Transparent to both indoor and outdoor activities, the street’s walls expose a vibrant culture of shared community. 

The design was informed by the University’s Climate Action Plan and – through careful planning and design -- achieves over 40 percent savings on energy usage over typical facilities of its kind. Alongside classrooms and offices, the facility's spaces include rehearsal studios, rehearsal/performance space, visual arts studios, costume design and fabrication shop, technology-supported classroom spaces and large multipurpose/lecture space.

Positioned in the heart of West Valley City’s new urban core, the Fairbourne Station Office Tower is designed to attract local and national businesses due to its customizable tenant spaces and proximity to the airport, highways and mass transit. The tower’s skyline-defining solar array serves as both a striking design feature and functional power source, with 698 panels capable of providing an estimated annual production of 330,000 kWh.

A sleek facade of brick, metal panels and glass curtain walls enhance the building’s modern aesthetic, while the cherry wood veneer lobby, polished concrete floors and etched glass panels add to its refined interior. As a central hub of West Valley City's Redevelopment Plan, the tower sets architectural standards for future developments.

EDA collaborated with Cannon Design to design a nationally-acclaimed transformational, educational live-work experience for student entrepreneurs, innovators and creators at the University of Utah. The LEED Gold design expresses and encourages the live-work entrepreneurial spirit through solutions such as the 20,000 SF Neeleman Hangar innovation space on the ground floor, 15,000 SF of garage-style “maker” spaces on all five levels and a variety of housing options for its 400 student residents. The solution, inspired by the turn-of-the-century converted industrial spaces, includes a building’s flexible grid system allows the University to reconfigure rooms and expand the innovation hangar as students’ needs change. The space enables entrepreneurship, facilitating connection between students of different disciplines to collaborate on products and companies throughout their residence. 

The Applied Science Building is set to become a cornerstone in the University of Utah’s educational and research mission. The building features state-of-the-art amenities, including modern classrooms, experimental laboratories and cutting-edge computer facilities. A dedicated student research support center fosters an environment conducive to active engagement in research and honors projects, streamlining project and degree completion. With a focus on accommodating the instructional needs of over 5,600 undergraduate and graduate students in STEM courses, the facility combines a thoughtful 40,000+ SF renovation of the historic Stewart Building with a contemporary 100,000+ SF addition. The Applied Science Building is not just a physical structure; it embodies a commitment to excellence, innovation and a bright future for the University of Utah’s academic and research pursuits.

The feasibility study for Daybreak's South Station District at the end of the TRAX Red Line explored a transformative 4,000-acre master planned community. Referred to as Downtown Daybreak, we envisioned a walkable, transit rich, mixed-use office, civic and retail core at its heart. Embodying the human scaled design principles of the “New Urbanism” movement, the first phase in our proposed development is a 150,000 SF office building and 10,000 SF neighborhood retail building. 

This core-and-shell office building design capitalized on our long history corporate space and architectural design. We provided the developer high-quality office space, ample flexibility to future tenants and an adaptable floor plate and core designed to balance occupant comfort with energy efficiency. The optimized the glass-to-core dimension maximize natural daylighting, including locating the fitness center on the building’s exterior instead burying it in middle to create an amenity tenants would enjoy using. The highly efficient core layout allowed us to create a generous 2-story entry lobby to elevate the first impression for all who enter.

The flagship recreation facility anchors a public plaza shared with the EDA-designed Herriman Library. Serving the diverse needs of three growing cities, our design derived from the vision and needs identified through close collaboration with Salt Lake County, Herriman City, Community Citizens and Local School District and public open houses. The result is a state-of-the-art recreation center designed around sustainable strategies and meaningful locally-sourced materials such as copper clad metal composite panel feature walls blended with aluminum composite panels. At its opening, the LEED Gold center was the County's largest, most energy efficient recreation facility. Inviting natural light in and providing a sense of visual connection and safety our design features numerous large exterior and interior windows.

Originally built in 1937, Ogden High School is one of the best examples of Art Deco architecture in Utah.
The thoughtful multi-phased renovation and restoration of this landmark building included comprehensive programming, master planning and design services to transform it into a state-of-the-art learning environment. The renovation included restoring the historic auditorium, seismic upgrade and strategic exterior repairs. Additions to the facility included a new multi-floor athletic center, cafeteria and common space expansion, a cutting-edge science center and performing arts center. The design for these additions played off the symmetry, axial disposition and articulation of the original Art Deco design. The new athletic center stands on the major axis of the original building, defining a fourth corner of the new outdoor quad. A transparent curtain of glass encloses the new commons space, providing views to the quad and the mountains east of the campus.

Sited at the gateway to the University of Utah’s health science corridor, EDA’s design connects the new building to the existing Skaggs Hall via an atrium. The resulting L.S. Skaggs Pharmacy Research Institute – with its deep recesses and dramatic cantilevers – is a striking yet complementary addition to the University’s health science campus. One of the project’s primary challenges was to meaningfully integrate the colleges’ needs for additional space and departmental consolidation with the district’s increasing density. The resulting concept for the precinct outlines an urban network grounded in the articulation of physical and visual access, structured open space and integrated vehicular and pedestrian circulation routes. In collaboration with Atelier Ten, our team also developed a priority of sustainable strategies to reflect the building program, local climate and massing. Projected energy savings are 30% over baseline, or $7.5M over 50 years.

Working closely with natural gas service supplier Questar (now Dominion Energy), we evaluated the headquarters facility to assess its optimal space needs. Our evaluation led to the company relocating its headquarters to a 170,000 SF space, resulting in a twenty percent reduction in leased space. Our office-space design provides a single, purpose-built headquarters that effectively marries four separate entities – gas, pipeline, Wexpro, corporate – under a single unifying Questar brand. Through a series of workplace strategy sessions, we arrived at a common set of design rules for the office environment to reflect its corporate culture. Using abstract natural gas branding images subtly reinforced the Questar culture. By providing common amenity spaces serving all four entities the environment enhances the work place culture and promotes the attraction and retention of high quality staff.

As an educational building still used today to train future architects, the Art and Architecture Complex acts as a skillful teacher and an active participant in the pedagogic process. The design - relatively rare architectural style for the state of Utah - is a locally important example of Brutalism, a style of Modern architecture characterized by structural expressiveness, raw materiality and functional articulation. A highly organized spatial plan is a direct reflection of the design of the building’s concrete framing: a tartan grid of concrete post-and-beam defines zones of circulation, studio workspace and mechanical. A monumental structure composed of concrete, brick and cedar paneling, dramatic textural differences and natural colors of the materials express a local materiality - adapting international modernist principles to the context of the Intermountain West.

EDA’s design for the Main Public Library introduced New Formalism to the region. Located opposite City Hall, the library complemented its neighbor’s ornate architecture while symbolizing the city’s future aspirations. The library was more than just a building; it was a cultural institution designed to endure. It housed over 700,000 volumes, a fine arts department, a rare books collection, a 500-seat auditorium and parking for staff and visitors. The use of locally sourced materials, such as precast concrete panels, ensured durability and thermal efficiency. The building’s distinctive feature, the integrated sculpture "Songs of Innocence" by Jo Roeper, highlighted the entrance, representing an early collaboration of modern art and architecture in Utah. A staple in the community, upon the the construction of a replacement library the citizens rallied to ensure the structure not be demolished, resulting in it housing the The Leonardo Museum,