Conforming to the constraints of a compact urban site with consideration to its adjacency to a large multi-modal transit hub, our design team developed a modern, ‘right-sized’ design solution to consolidate uses previously housed in multiple other locations. The Police Department expresses transparency and accountability within the community it serves, while ensuring a safe place for those working and visiting the facility.
Our application of trauma-informed, biophilic design principles includes semi-private quiet spaces for staff on each floor to decompress, have quiet conversations and receive counseling after high-stress events. “Soft” interview rooms give victims a safe, comfortable space to recount events and make statements. Careful consideration of the second and third floor workspace placement and windows maximize natural light penetration while connecting users with place and nature through views of the Wasatch Front and Oquirrh mountains.
Designed to promote active aging, the Midvale Senior Center provides a new model in the design of senior centers. This LEED-Gold certified space responds to the evolving needs of a new generation of seniors by intentionally welcoming baby boomers without alienating the older senior population. Anchoring Downton Midvale, the Center's main entrance, café and recreation spaces actively engage the historic Main Street. Our design balances contextual considerations with a low-profile building form and a siloed staircase that references a nearby historic building.
The building's materiality purposely ties into the history of the area through elements such as the locally-sourced brick, which complements the historic facades along Main Street. The use of copper celebrates the time when Midvale served as a historic center of the once-booming mining industry. The interior incorporates historic photography and signage (including the BPOE sign from Midvale Eagles Club) as well as a site-specific piece of public art celebrating the nearby Bingham Mine anchoring the main lobby.
Melding tradition with modernity, we balanced dedicated spaces with fundamental science education and adaptable layouts to provide a hub for scientific education, exploration and collaboration. To prepare students for the challenges of the future, we took great care in our design of specialized chemistry, biology and bio-tech, tools and nature lab spaces.
Outdoor classroom and a dedicated computer science space further the capacity to support diverse educational pursuits and hands-on learning experiences. Advancing the “Building-As-Teacher” concept, we exposed and color-coded piping in classrooms to explain fluid movement throughout the building, fostering a connection between the building and students’ learning experiences.
Fulfilling current and long-term County needs, we developed a Judicial Facilities Needs Assessment and a Judicial Facilities Master Development Plan for Sweetwater County. The resulting Phase I Justice Center co-locates and centralizes several public safety and justice agencies in one place, significantly improving the efficiency, convenience, safety and security of the County’s justice services while creating a distinct civic landmark.
Our design reinforces Sweetwater's community identity by drawing on the unique geology, local resources and cultural history of Southwest Wyoming. Through its locally sourced materials and native vegetation, the building embraces its context and the beauty of the Green River canyon. Bricks of different hues echo the striations of the surrounding buttes, while reused snow fence boards lend concrete walls a rustic texture. Deep reveals in the walls refer to the ongoing process of erosion found throughout the landscape. Inside the courtrooms, beetle-kill pine panels and millwork orient focus on the judge, witness stand and lectern.
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.
Built to bring together Overstock.com staff in a single, collaborative work environment, the distinctive, circular “Peace Coliseum” anchors a corporate campus that connects public transportation, on-site childcare and a greenhouse that grows fresh fruits and vegetables for the company cafeteria. The building’s circular design dispenses with traditional hierarchy, trading corner offices for an equitable and transparent open-plan layout.
To explicitly place employees at the center of the company, the design features a gathering space called the “Nucleus” within the inner courtyard, housing the main employee commons area and a cafe. Through an exposed structure and honest use of raw materials, the building reflects an architectural commitment to authenticity and integrity that positively contributes to Overstock’s company culture.
Seamlessly marrying the contrasting needs of a library in the digital age and the preservation of a gem of mid-century modernist architecture, this transformation updated the library while positioning it for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. Recognizing its architectural and community significance, we engaged extensively with Ogden's residents, leaders and library staff throughout the design process. The resulting design led to a thirty percent increase in publicly accessible spaces and modern technology and building systems. The dual-focused the design efforts developed a facility that functions as a repository of books and provides community access to multi-media resources.
In addition to the traditional book stacks and reading areas, the renovated library features interdisciplinary spaces to house dedicated science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) education-focused spaces. Developed due to needs expressed by the client and community, these community spaces include maker spaces for functions such as film making, general arts studio and small theaters to accommodate readings and music recitals and performances.
As part of preserving the historical integrity, all the original walnut paneling was preserved; most of which was protected in place and carefully refinished. The special collections room in the basement, outfitted with rose wood paneling, was protected through abatement, demolition and new construction phases. The design introduced a new plaza connecting the library to its natural surroundings and incorporated contextually sensitive architectural elements such as new entries and windows to foster community engagement.
Overcoming budget challenges brought about by limited grant funding, we defined critical program needs to develop a cost-effective design. Our continuous evaluation resulted in innovative solutions without sacrificing the project's vision of providing improved accessibility to the courts, changing and shower facilities while providing space for merchandise and a pro shop.
Harmonizing security with public access, the renovation design reimagines the space. We developed dignified spaces for the public with ‘soft’ interview rooms to reduce the trauma for certain people testifying. Acknowledging the courts system is a stressful place we incorporated several biophilic design strategies to reduce occupant stress-levels, improve the sense of well-being and passively improve staff’s ability to maintain a high degree of safety and security. Strategies to accomplish this include maintaining visual site lines throughout allowing staff to readily observe all areas within the facility, Our utilization of natural materials such as wood, stone and even plants throughout the space to re-enforce a connection between the occupants and nature. Everywhere possible we invited natural daylight into spaces within the facility. Our design enabled the opening of exterior walls to invite daylight into offices, cubicles and public spaces, including introducing diffused natural daylight into the courtrooms. We also provided the opportunity for justice among those within the community without internet access by carving out space for two sound-isolated virtual hearing booths in the main lobby.
Honoring Utah's fallen heroes, the Utah Veterans Memorial invites solemn introspection and connection within a respectful space to remember and reflect upon those memorialized. Sited on just over three acres, its only two entrances guide visitors into the plaza facing east, allowing the prominent Wasatch Front in the distance to set the tone upon entry – as if the mountains are paying homage to those memorialized within. Upon entry, visitors find themselves in a subdued yet fitting space. The placement of the names scribed into the wall’s east side, eternally facing the mountains, allow them to be discovered after entry upon turning towards the wall. Arranged chronologically by war and dating back to World War I the names, listed in a random order, form a single continuous roll call of those united in their common sacrifice. At the center of the plaza, two quartzitic sandstone monoliths quarried from nearby Brown's Canyon align to present an outline of Utah. The facing sides of each slab are carved to reflect Zebra Slot Canyon, with a relief at the base representing the canyon’s runoff wash.
EDA's commitment to provide West Valley City with growth-focused solutions resulted in delivering three fire stations for the cost of the two. Originally the City bonded to replace two aging fire stations. It quickly became apparent a third station would be needed to service the City’s rapidly growing neighborhoods. Our focused approach, rigorous programming and design process enabled us to quickly adapt and identify the essential operational and programmatic needs to make a third station possible.
Our solution accomplished the University's goals of expanding and renovating the conference, meeting and entertainment hub for alumni activities. Our design increased capacity and improved connections to the campus through carefully organized, flexible spaces. The uncomplicated material palette favors the quality and richness of materials - such as regionally inspired stone walls on the exterior and wood paneling inside - with a subtle integration of University colors referencing its campus context. Reusing approximately 50 percent of the original building fabric, our thoughtful programming provides vistas to important local landmarks including the iconic Block U, Rice Eccles Stadium and the State Arboretum as well as views into the event spaces from the campus’ main corridors.
Real Salt Lake (RSL) Academy High School on the RSL Training Facility Campus is a tuition free, public STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Charter School serving grades nine through twelve. The approximately 300-student facility is a mix of out-of-state RSL Academy student-athletes and local students interested in the curriculum of the high school. With its sheer scale and bold aesthetic, the RSL Training Academy is comprised of a unique combination of two MLS regulation-size soccer fields side-by-side, state-of-the-art training facilities and a charter school, all of which are housed underneath the largest pre-engineered clear span building in North America - spanning 400 feet. Wrapping around the large span structure are professional training and locker room facilities, academy training and locker room facilities, and a charter school, also housed by a Nucor pre-engineered frame system. The site also includes an exhibition stadium with locker room and public restroom facilities, three MLS size outdoor practice fields, and two high school size practice fields. RSL's 5,000 solar panels produce 1.65 megawatts of energy, relieving about 80% of the electricity needed from the electrical grid to run the training facility.
The design focused on providing a healing environment that inspires hope and creates a positive impact through education, advocacy and social awareness. Our programming enhances the user experience with yoga studios, presentation spaces, photo and video studios, podcast rooms, a library and therapy rooms. We maximized natural light upon entry into the two-story atrium for a bright, welcoming atmosphere and incorporated custom white oak ceilings provide warmth, uniformity and a visual sense of place throughout the common areas.
We developed a space for this international software and technology firm with an open floor plan for mobility and flexibility to accommodate work style and location based on task. Our team incorporated local user input and applied evidence-based design strategies to determine the quantity and types of spaces, such as private ‘zone’ rooms, group ‘focus’ rooms, ‘project team’ rooms and multi-purpose spaces able to support the needs of research/ engineering and sales teams. Our sustainable and environmentally conscious design features natural, rapidly renewable materials, local materials and materials with recycled content. Work spaces along window lines provide natural daylight and an outdoors connection.
Canopy Tax is a collaborative open office with a multitude of breakout spaces and phenomenal valley views. The spacious main areas allow teams to meet in private or bounce ideas off other team members they happen to run into.
We set out to create a headquarters interior design that embraces Skullcandy’s coming-of-age, while still celebrating its irreverent, ‘skater-punk’ roots. From R&D lab space to a half-pipe skateboard ramp, the space supports a wide range of employee activities. Many unusual programmatic elements were included to meet Skullcandy’s unique organizational needs. These included an anechoic chamber (a room designed to completely absorb reflections of sound or electromagnetic waves), woodshop, painting booth, printing room, warehouse, retail store, music jam room, photography studio, and retail display workroom. Thoughtful space planning for a functional flow that addressed concerns of noise, fumes, and dust separation was paramount to the success of this project.
Elevating function and quality, the space is next-generation workplace experience uniquely tailored to Quotient. Our human-centered solution incorporates various space typologies to suit work-style preferences such as zoom rooms, one-on-one/huddle rooms, heads-down workspace, open collaboration areas and dedicated hoteling space for remote and travelling staff. Our unique branding deconstructs Quotient’s logo along the reception wall through scale, proportion and geometry and a mixed materiality of moss, wood and blackened steel.
Accommodating exponential growth since its 2010 inception, we worked with Lucid Software on a corporate headquarters that locates employees from various sites into one central space. The office unifies employees around amenities and resources includes specifically to promote a fun and collaborative work environment. Our design solution reinforces Lucid’s culture and serves to recruit talent throughout the Salt Lake region in an increasingly competitive hiring environment.
The seven-level, 420,000 SF Fairbourne Station Parking Structure in West Valley City provides a fifty- year parking structure for visitors riding UTA buses and Trax, West Valley City employees and the office building tenants of the Fairbourne Station Office Tower. The structure is equipped with a snow-melt system built into upper level clear of snow in the wintertime as well as negating the need for snow-plow storage. Additionally, the design allows the unique inclusion of small retail spaces on the ground level that will enliven the outdoor area surrounding the parking structure. The glass curtain walls and smart design elements on the northeast corner match the surrounding buildings and connect to the adjacent office tower via a second-story sky bridge, while openings in the concrete facade bring in natural light to the 1,200 stalls inside. Utilizing a moment frame allowed for the exclusion of shear walls, thereby increasing user safety by eliminating blind spots.
We are leading the process for County and State entities to be housed within a new facility. As part of developing a the design for an addition and remodeled space that considers the work style of each entity, we invested the time needed to engage and listen to each department and communicate our design in an easy to understand manner.
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 15-year comprehensive master plan for this unique state asset explores and guides opportunities for investment, improvement and expansion. Our team's focus included encouraging year-round activity and exploring revenue streams to ensure the long-term financial viability of the State Fair and the Fairpark itself. Our team performed detailed surveys of the site, the existing facilities and potential development location as well as conducted outreach to the surrounding community through scheduled meetings and in-person and online surveys. The process resulted in a plan that optimizes the Fairpark layout within current boundaries while mitigating negative impacts such as traffic and parking on the surrounding community. The resulting plan divides the site into seven districts including the Jordan Riverwalk, Historic Core, Conference and Expo, Adventure, Animal Experience, Hospitality and White Ballfield.
We led a group of stakeholders to develop a cohesive urban design vision and development strategy to master plan Fairbourne Station, West Valley City's evolving mixed-use downtown district. Located on a compact 15 ace urban site with adjacencies to City Hall and West Valley Central Station TRAX stop the focus included developing a services and amenity rich walkable District. The overall vision clusters high density residential, hospitality, retail, several civic and municipal services, clinical and medical offices and class A commercial office space around community green space.
As part of the over $80 M buildout of the master plan's phase 1, we worked with the City and developer to design and construct the Police Department, Fairbourne Station Office Tower and the District's parking garage.
The 50-year horizon Vineyard Campus Master Plan envisions an entirely new campus on over 200 acres of land in Vineyard Utah previously used as a steel mill. During a year-long discovery process, our team identified main challenges as connectivity between the new and Orem campuses, maintaining the academic integrity of the Orem campus and fostering a sense of community with neighbors of the university during this period of growth. Opportunities we explored include expanding the growing colleges and student programs, space to enlarge student life activities and land for public/private partnerships to enhance learning.
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.
As Salt Lake City’s living room, John W. Gallivan Plaza supports a wide range of activities and events, including the Twilight Concert Series, winter ice skating, and arts and food festivals. WE have developed a number of design solutions at Gallivan over the course of nearly three decades. Among these are a set of retail shops along Gallivan Avenue, the current amphitheater and ice sheet, and the 21,000 square foot event center/ice support building that won a 2012 AIA Utah Merit Award.
The event space represents the capstone of the Gallivan Center master plan. Built on top the existing Gallivan Center parking, the event space creates a sense of enclosure for the park. Composed of a steel frame, copper paneling, and cast-in-place and pre-cast concrete, it presents a warm and enduring face while honoring the region's long mining history. The building’s lower floor provides support for the ice sheet and the amphitheater. Ringed by balconies its second story expands the center’s conference and special event capabilities. A planted roof positively contributes to the park’s aesthetics when viewed from surrounding buildings.
Public support for the year-round swimming pool, including a 10,000 SF natatorium, was outstanding during the design process with many engaged community members. We assisted the City with State Grant/ Loan funding, met with project stakeholders and scaled the project to fit the budget to ensure everything the client could afford was included - without having to raise taxes to afford it. The design took into consideration - among other factors - chemical delivery availability, system reliability and value.
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.
To meet the needs of Holladay’s growing community, EDA re-envisioned the Cottonwood Country Club clubhouse as a landmark destination in the Salt Lake valley, featuring contemporary amenities and modern design. The site offers enviable views of the nearby mountains and natural water features that flow through the site. Juxtaposed against this backdrop, the building stands solidly on a foundation of cast concrete, with an imprint of board-formed wood grain to evoke the surrounding woody landscape. A dramatic porte-cochere frames the entrance, inviting visitors into the stick-framed wood lobby. The interior of the building features central circulation, providing connection between dining, banquet rooms, decks, pools and tennis courts.
Our team applied a proven design concept from a successful chain of regional convenience stores and translating that into an appropriate interpretation for a corporate office environment. Our use creative materials and space planning resulted in a playful, professional design that abstracts company values. Our approach captured the adventurous spirit and connectivity to outdoor activities shared among Maverik's employees.
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.