By Anne Wilson, The Salt Lake Tribune
Nov. 14--Three Utah buildings, one a community center focused on physical play and the others devoted to pursuits of the mind, won top honors Friday from the Utah chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
Every year, the Utah AIA acknowledges the best designs of architects working in the state. This year, the competition attracted more than 50 entries, an increase from the previous year that was due partly to professionals more eager to market their work in an economic downtown, according to Elizabeth Mitchell, executive director of the Utah chapter.
She said the submitted designs, which were judged by a jury of architects from outside the state, exemplified several trends.
"We're seeing an increasing number of projects that represent sustainable design values and goals," Mitchell said. "They're more energy efficient, show greater sensitivity to using local materials and also to fitting into their context where that's important."
As an example, she cited the Sky Lodge in Park City, which stood out for its unique design even while fitting the area's aesthetic.
And architects are using a wider variety of materials in their designs and incorporating more windows, Mitchell said.
"Architects have learned that when people get natural light they feel better, they work better, they learn better," she said.
Top honor awards went to the Carolyn Tanner Irish Humanities Building at the University of Utah; the Weber
County Library's Pleasant Valley Branch in Washington Terrace; and the Emery County Aquatic Center in Castle Dale.
In addition, the jury gave out four "merit" awards: Swaner Eco Center in Park City; Sky Lodge in Park City; the University Orthopedic Center in Salt Lake City; and a private residence in Emigration Canyon.
The People's Choice Award, sponsored jointly by The Salt Lake Tribune and the AIA, went to the Frederick Albert Sutton geology and geophysics building at the University of Utah. A total of 2,262 ballots were cast by Tribune readers in the online poll.
Jurors for the honor and merit awards included Anne Marie Decker, of Duvall Decker Architects in Jackson, Miss.; Victor F. Trahan, of Trahan Architects, Baton Rouge, La.; and John Friedman, of John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects, Los Angeles.
And the winners are...
The Utah chapter of the American Institute of Architects handed out its annual design awards Friday night at the Utah Museum of Natural History. Here are the winners and a comment from judges.
Honor awards
Carolyn Tanner Irish Humanities Building, University of Utah, Salt Lake City
Architect -- CRSA, Salt Lake City
Jury said -- "Even though the composition of the building's elements and masses are restrained, they are surprisingly dynamic, enticing your eyes to move across the surfaces and inviting you to move in and around the building."
Weber County Library , Pleasant Valley Branch, Washington Terrace
Architect -- Prescott Muir Architects, Salt Lake City
Jury said -- "It has a sort of civic pride embedded in it that harkens back to an earlier time, but is also progressive."
Emery County Aquatic Center, Castle Dale
Architect -- Naylor Wentworth Lund Architects, Salt Lake City
Jury said -- "The crisp, pure elements of the building form a remarkable partner for the outdoor pool and its colorful play structures, both from a distance and from within the spaces."
Merit awards
Swaner Eco Center, Park City
Architect -- CRSA, Salt Lake City
Jury said -- "Beautifully born out of place, from the shapes to the details. The grain of the grass is complemented with the running boards of the walk to the slatted grain of the tower."
The Sky Lodge, Park City
Architect -- Elliott Workgroup Architecture, Park City
Jury said -- "A real site planning accomplishment that creates good public yet intimate spaces."
University Orthopedic Center, Salt Lake City
Architect -- Architectural Nexus, Salt Lake City
Jury said -- "Accomplished a lot in a very difficult building type. The energy and dynamism in the forms respond well to the mountain setting."
Emigration Canyon residence, Salt Lake City
Architect -- Sparano + Mooney Architecture, Salt Lake City
Jury said -- "Restrained simplicity of the shape and its elements."
People's Choice Award
Frederick Albert Sutton Geology and Geophysics Building, University of Utah
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