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K-12 Roundup

Design and construction advances within Utah’s K-12 market illustrates the desire of local school districts and A/E/C firms to produce optimum learning environments and buildings that are functionally safe, flexible and sustainable. 
By Brad Fullmer and Taylor Larsen

According to August 2022 data from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah, approximately 675,000 students attend Utah’s public K-12 schools, with 88% attending a school in one of the state’s 41 school districts and 12% in one of more than 100 charter schools. 

Alpine School District leads the charge with more than 80,000 students, followed by Davis SD (72,000), Granite SD (62,000), Jordan SD (57,000), Washington County SD (37,000), Nebo SD (35,000) and Canyons SD (35,000). 

The total number of students represents a significant bump from 612,000 just a decade ago (2012-13 school year)—a more than 10% increase, in fact—and signals that the K-12 market in the Beehive State continues to be busy and active for firms who specialize in that arena. 

UC&D reached out to a half dozen of Utah’s largest school districts and received responses from three—Davis School District (DSD), Ogden School District (OSD) and Washington Country School District (WCSD). Each are considered progressive, forward-thinking districts that design and build premium facilities. 

Concerns about wildly fluctuating post-pandemic construction and material costs have school district officials thinking long and hard about how many schools they will be able to adequately fund in the future to keep up with Utah’s consistent (albeit slowly shrinking) growth rates. 

The sheer cost of schools has exploded the past decade. Consider that in August 2013, the 444,000 SF Granger High was completed for $78 million, while new schools currently under construction like Skyline High (slated final completion 2026) and Cyprus High (2025) are expected to sail past the $160 million mark, perhaps even hitting $180 million by final completion. 

At DSD, Bryan Turner, Director of Architectural Services, said country voters passed a $475 million bond last November, which will fund two new Jr. Highs, a new prototype elementary and replacement of another elementary, additions/remodels of three high schools (Clearfield, Layton, Bountiful), and two elementary remodels. New air conditioning equipment will also be installed throughout the District. 

“Bonds are getting harder to pass,” said Turner. “The amount of money we can spend is fixed with the bond. If construction costs keep rising, projects from the bond list will have to be cut or delayed. We are careful to avoid tax increases to the citizens of the County. The needs of the District far outweigh the amount of money available.” 

Reduced energy and utility costs are always a priority, Turner added, with DSD maintaining over 100 buildings, seven of which are zero-energy buildings in operation with another three currently under construction. Money saved on utilities goes directly back into the classroom. 

Turner said DSD routinely uses ground source heat exchange systems, thermal air displacement, PV panels, etc. to achieve net-zero ratings at its respective schools. He views LEED as a useful system to copy, but DSD typically does not chase certification on all its schools. 

Ogden School District has a handful of interesting projects on the docket as well, according to Jer Bates, Director of Communications, including a new Child Nutrition Program facility that will expand OSD’s food storage capacity and flexibility in purchasing/logistics. It will also house the Marketstar Student Resource Center. 

The District is collaborating with Ogden-Weber Technical College to build a new specialized high school adjoining the OWTC campus, will replace Hillcrest Elementary with a new building, and will begin a partial renovation of Odyssey Elementary. It also has three Jr. Highs and a new facility for adult education/alternative high school in the works. 

Bates said the District will aim to pass a bond in 2026 that could range from under $100 million to over $200 million depending on voter approval. Aligning with modern security needs, the Distrit is implementing secure entries in schools, along with gravitating to individual wings or pods in new schools, which improves student-teacher collaboration. 

Sustainability is also a premium issue moving forward, with a focus on solar PV panels and geothermal ground source heating on new and renovated buildings. 

Down south in Washington County, WCSD officials are looking to design an elementary prototype that is a two-story building, according to Craig Hammer, Executive Director of Secondary Schools and Facilities. The reason for the two-story design is to reduce the amount of acreage needed for a new school.

“With the price of property through the roof, we need to look at a different model,” said Hammer. “It’s a whole different look for us. We’re reducing our footprint from 11-13 acres to 8 or less.”

Building has slowed considerably for the District, but there is still a need for new projects. Over the next five years, Hammer anticipates the need for at least 2-3 new elementary schools, and another high school and middle school, along with a vocational building that needs replacing and seismic reinforcement projects on three older schools. 

Hammer also praised the members of WCSD’s ‘Green Team’, an energy-efficient team that has been operating for 12 years and has allowed the District to add five million square feet of new buildings to its portfolio without adding extra energy costs. 

World-Class K-12 Projects in Utah
A/E/C professionals are collaborating at high levels to produce robust, modern-day schools that combine form and function in ways that enhance and improve day-to-day learning programs. Schools are built with sustainability in mind, but also with the intent to foster creativity and excellence from the students within these inspiring spaces. 

In this K-12 section, UC&D takes a look at four of Utah’s newest schools, including Canyons School District long-time high school rivals Hillcrest High and Brighton High in Salt Lake County, Ellis Elementary in Logan (it was originally built in 1893), and South Sevier in Monroe. 

LABOR OF LOVE

The new Hillcrest High gave FFKR's Greta Anderson the serendipitous opportunity to redesign her alma mater.

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When Greta Anderson was taking drafting classes at Hillcrest High School in the late 1980s, she never could have envisioned that one day she would be tasked with leading a team of architectural professionals on the redesign of her alma mater. 


“There may have been one or two of us (women) in the class—I was undecided (about architecture). It was a lot of math, which I wasn’t good at, but I persevered,” said Anderson, a proud ’89 Husky alum who found out she would serve as Principal-in-Charge for Salt Lake-based FFKR Architects in November 2017 for the new school, making it a true labor of love.


“When I met (current Hillcrest Principal) Greg (Leavitt) I said, ‘Can you imagine redesigning your own high school!’,” said Anderson. “We got to flex our design muscles and do progressive learning environments, which not a lot of districts are doing yet. It was a huge team effort. And it’s green—finally! 


Indeed, the visually stunning green glass façade is a dazzling aesthetic—much of it comprised of floor-to-ceiling windows offering unparalleled views of the mountains and both sides of the Salt Lake Valley—and among the hallmarks of the overall scintillating design. 

“It’s a beautiful building, but functionally, it checks all the marks and meets the needs of all the different departments,” said Anderson. “It’s so rewarding for us!” 


Anderson, along with FFKR Project Manager Liz Morgan, worked closely with Leavitt throughout the design process of the new four-story, 421,000 SF school, which opened in August 2021. They praised Leavitt’s attention to detail and genuine care and consideration of even minute elements, which he said is due to having been Principal at Draper Park Middle School during its design and construction a decade previously. 


“Liz and I both said we won the lottery getting this guy for a principal on this project,” said Anderson. “Every moment of this process was just a delight.” 


“It helped having been through this process before,” Leavitt said. “It was important for us to find architects who could find out what the community wanted as well, and I felt like I had that with Greta and Liz,” said Leavitt, who is in his eighth year as Principal at Hillcrest (22 years as a principal overall) and looking to retire in 2024. 


“He’s visionary—he thinks about what is best for the future of the school,” said Morgan. “It’s about examining all aspects of the design to make sure we were choosing the right things for the school.” 


“His vision can be seen in every square foot of this school, because he cares so much about the kids,” Anderson added. “The kids know him, and they love him.”


“Some,” Leavitt countered, chuckling. 


Another hallmark of the new school, and one that Leavitt lobbied hard for—while admitting it is among the most “controversial” design elements—is having glass partitions in all classrooms, a trend that isn’t necessarily new or innovative, but one that continues to gain traction in certain school districts in Utah as a vital programming function related to improving safety. 


“We wanted visible public practice—windows and light—in our building,” said Leavitt. “I did the same at Draper Park and didn’t get as much pushback.” 


Leavitt said of the 80 faculty members and teachers who attended design charettes, about 10—mainly older, veteran teachers—don’t particularly like the glass partitions. “(Some) teachers still want to be left alone—it will always be an adjustment,” he said. “Teachers never want to be in a fishbowl.”


“It’s the right thing to do,” said Morgan. “It’s what first responders want to see. It’s better for social and emotional learning […] and for checking out what teachers are doing. There are benefits of having transparency (that will aid) generations of students and teachers. It’s a safety feature for teachers as well as students.”


Collegiate Vibes 

The new Hillcrest High campus was divided into three phases spread out over three years, proving challenging for Orem-based general contractor Westland Construction in numerous ways, especially with the pandemic (and subsequent supply chain disruptions) hitting during the peak of construction activity at the project’s midway point. 


The phased approach allowed for consideration of future enrollment projections (current student population is 2,000), curriculum, program improvements, and comprehensive safety, perhaps the most highly scrutinized design aspect of all modern-day, K-12 buildings given the number of gun-related school shootings the past quarter century in the U.S. 

Anderson and Morgan said there were three major shootings during the design process; each time it prompted a review of overall campus security measures being implemented. 


Other key amenities include:

—A multi-purpose fieldhouse and athletic center (separate on-campus facility).

—High-tech auditorium and performing arts classrooms.

—Group study and teacher collaboration areas.

—Weight training room with dynamic views to the Wasatch range.

—Classroom wings that lock down and are configured to provide administrators with clear lines for safety.

—Improved site access, parking and traffic flow. 


Leavitt said the new school offers everything he could have hoped for, particularly the overall feel of the campus, which has a mature, grown-up vibe.


“I really wanted a collegiate feel, and this is sort of a mini-college,” said Leavitt. “I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from people who say that.” 


“I believe kids act (according to) their space,” said Anderson. “If it feels sophisticated, that’s how they’ll respond.” 

Leavitt said an important student amenity—Husky Market—addresses the fact that approximately one-third (34%) of Hillcrest students are impoverished, suffering from a social discrepancy (homeless, neglected, food insecurity, etc.). Husky Market is part of a trend of including “student centers” in schools that include a laundry room and food pantry, and is accessible to students on weekends and holidays. Gender neutral restrooms are also on every floor, and another important social consideration. 


Anderson and Morgan said the school has been such a hit within FFKR’s office, it’s prompted a deluge of requests from co-workers who want to get in on some K-12 action. 


“Since this school got up and running, we have had more interest in our K-12 studio than ever before,” said Anderson. “It’s like designing a little city—you have a business center, a rec center, performing arts and entertainment, CTE, trades, art. You can (learn) every aspect of a lot of different sectors of design. Liz has a good sports and recreation and performing arts background, for example, so we can take that expertise and apply it at a high level on a school.” 


Hillcrest High School

Owner: Canyons School District

Architect: FFKR Architects

General Contractor: Westland Construction

Civil Engineer: CRS Engineers

Electrical Engineer: Envision Engineering

Mechanical Engineer: VBFA

Structural Engineer: Calder Richards

Interior Design & Landscape Architect: FFKR Architects

HVAC Subcontractor: Koch Mechanical

Electrical Subcontractor: Taylor Electric

Masonry Subcontractor: Buxton Masonry, Doyle Hatfield Masonry

Concrete: Cornerstone

Steel Fabrication: Clegg Steel, Tushar

Steel Erection: Clegg Steel

Other Specialty Contractors: Prolific Painting, Utah Tile & Roofing, Lotz Construction, Cazier Excavating, Great Western Landscape


BRIGHTON UP

Best-in-class learning environments are the theme of Brighton High as design and construction came together for a gorgeous school built over a four-year phased construction process.

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“How come we didn’t have that in high school?” seems to be coming up a lot during a tour of Brighton High School in late February. 


While everyone on the tour is at least a few years—maybe decades—removed from pep rallies and home room, it’s still exciting to see what Brighton High has become since its extensive design and four-year rebuilding process.


Kelly Hall, Superintendent of Centerville-based Hogan & Associates Construction, and Scott Later, Principal of Salt Lake-based MHTN Architects, wanted the school to be so noteworthy that it would seemingly belong at any campus of higher education.


Site and Phasing Challenges

Keeping the school functional during construction required extensive egress paths for students, staff, and the public to travel safely through the site and existing building.


“It was a lot of head scratching,” Hall said, “wondering ‘How do we keep people going where they need to go and keep spaces and functions going?’”


The limited site and 30-foot grade change from the academic wings to existing football field proved challenging for material placement. Space near the softball field became a de-facto staging and storage area. 


The project team’s focus on phasing coordination paid dividends during construction. They completed the project with a three-phase demolition plan that allowed portions of the school to remain in operation as construction progressed.


First In Class

Phase I—creating the Career and Technical Education (CTE) wing—required the team to design the new building to make a step in grade. By building the foundation wall for retention and utilizing a lightweight concrete mix, the design decreased the structure’s slope load and the soil infill weight against the retaining walls—ultimately lessening the number of structural systems and reducing costs. 


The prominence of the many trades exhibited in the school extends as high as the four-story CTE wing. The commercial kitchen has all the gear and utensils ready and waiting for the next Michelin-star chef. A high-end auto shop classroom on the second floor looks down on multiple hydraulic vehicle bays and a different type of Michelin—this one a tad more rubbery. 


The wood shop looks reminiscent of today’s commercial mill operations, complete with sawdust and the ventilation systems needed to keep students and faculty safe. Art classes even open up out onto an outdoor patio above the auto shop garage.


Brighton High’s breadth doesn’t stop there. Engineering, ceramics, and even jewelry-making labs emphasize the new CTE wing's powerful first move in an ongoing shift toward career and technical education.


School in Sequence

For Phase II, Hall spoke of literally cutting the existing building in half. This provided a safe and secure learning environment, while achieving an efficient construction pace. The emphasis on simultaneously meeting both goals drew rave reviews from Brighton Principal Tom Sherwood


“At the core, everything we did throughout the build has been ‘What is best for students [now, and] what [will] be best for students in the long run?’” Sherwood said. “To have the architectural firm and the contractors also look at a project with an eye on students first was surprising and refreshing […] and it really made our conversations pretty easy, knowing that we all had the same ultimate goals in mind.”


The school’s only sacrifice during construction, Later said, was parking. 


As portions of the existing campus were demolished, delicate care was given to keeping the existing main electrical room in operation. Later called it “the sacred electrical vault,” and it was treated with proportionate reverence. The final building design adapted to work around this critical existing element and keep the existing building electrified during construction.


Learning in Session

Academic wings sit on either side of the main hallway, or the “canyon,” that forms the central artery of the academic building. At 480 ft. long, it surpasses the length of the school’s football field, which runs parallel to the building. 


According to Later, the three-story corridor is “a place to see and be seen. High schools are social, and this became sort of a ‘Main Street’.”


The canyon connects 12 Learning Communities on three levels to other amenities across the campus, creating a comprehensive school experience. Learning communities contain multiple classrooms gathered around a central, collaborative flex space, as well as teacher support areas and smaller breakout rooms. Three themes, Later explained, correspond with each of the three levels—trails, peaks, and waterways. Trail markers, lighting, floor patterns, and branding graphics at each learning community provide unique accent elements.


“The Learning Communities help to support the different learning styles of the students,” Later explained. “If [students] need a place that’s quieter to focus, or if they need a place where they can talk with a small group, they have that. These diverse spaces are supported with flexible, comfortable furniture and robust technology infrastructure. (All) help students feel comfortable and engaged.” 


Large-scale graphics, particularly in the auditorium lobby, celebrate the school’s colors and pride. The building’s thoughtful design lets in the most controlled natural light possible to create strong visual connections to the outdoors and surrounding landscape.


50 years of memorabilia adorns hallways of not just the main school, but the new and improved athletic wing on the campus’ east side—the Hillcrest v. Brighton jug a notable piece of nostalgia. The main gym sits on one side of the 119,000-SF athletics wing, with auxiliary gyms housing a wrestling room, dance studio, and a synthetic turf field house.


Brighton High School Replacement

Owner: Canyons School District

Architect: MHTN Architects and Lake|Flato

General Contractor: Hogan & Associates Construction

Civil Engineer: Gardner Engineering

Electrical Engineer: BNA Consulting

Mechanical Engineer: Olsen & Peterson Consulting Engineering

Structural Engineer: Reaveley Engineers

Geotech: Consolidated Engineering Laboratories

Interior Design: MHTN Architects

Landscape Architect: 

Plumbing Subcontractor: Western States Mechanical 

HVAC Subcontractor: Shoppe

Electrical Subcontractor: Tri-Phase Electric and CR Lighting

Concrete: AK Concrete

Steel Fabrication: Utah Ornamental

Steel Erection: Tushar Iron Erectors

Glass/Curtain Wall: USI All-Purpose

Masonry: AK Masonry

Tile/Stone: Ace Tile & Stone

Demolition: Grant MacKay

Other Specialty Contractors: Commercial Interiors Construction, Ceiling Systems, Hegemann Paint Co., Huetter Mill, Wall2Wall, Utah Tile & Roofing, Jones Excavating, Great Western Landscape


FLY EAGLES FLY

Sustainability a hallmark on Ellis Elementary, which was originally designed by Design West Architects before the turn of the 20th Century.

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Bringing everything together on the new Ellis Elementary was a test in patience and flexibility, nonetheless the project excelled by utilizing existing site resources and contemporary construction methods to create a dynamic new school, one shaped by its predecessor that was orginally built in 1893. 


That was school was designed by Logan-based Design West Architects is also noteworthy, as the orginal Ellis Elementary was designed by the firm’s founder, K.C. Shaw.


Go With the Flow

While every facet of the project received its due attention from the project team, their favorite was utilizing the canal water that flowed through the site. 


Wayne Anderson, President of Logan-based general contractor DWA Construction, said a significant percentage of complaints he hears from K-12 facility operators—and possibly everyone who looks at an electric bill in the summer—is the cost of air conditioning. This is mitigated at Ellis by a modified geothermal system, which keeps the building at a reasonable temperature while reducing costs and water usage. 


Mechanical engineers at Salt Lake-based VBFA designed a system that pumps water from an adjacent canal into the basement. Exchange water is then sent downstream. Since the canal water’s temperature varies only slightly, the resultant cooling of the building is constant and will help keep temperatures well-regulated year-round without requiring a newly built system.


Anderson described how box culverts were installed to cover the waterway and give students more blacktop, field, and playground areas. This site work has been great for kids while also giving staff increased visibility and supervision of students on the play areas over what existed previously.


Poured on Thick

Stephen Williams, Principal with Design West, designed the building walls with ICF, a popular feature in school construction. The highly-durable and energy-conscious façade is a reliable way to meet a tightening energy code for schools. A nearly three-inch layer of foam surrounds the layer of concrete and functions like a coffee cup, minimizing heating and cooling loads while stabilizing indoor temperatures. Composite strips that tie foam and concrete together provide a connection point to attachable sheetrock layers.



On the exterior, Corbeling, a new iteration of the clock tower, and masonry pay homage to features from the previous school.


The thin-brick façade includes three different colors and styles. The soldier course ebony brick provides a nice break in the standard red brick that takes up a large percentage of the walls. The running bond of “Logan Brick” is a nod to the masonry of much of Logan’s historic architecture and helps to provide plenty of visual intrigue to the school. 


The choice of thin brick, Anderson mentioned, reduced the needed load-bearing capacity for the foundation and saved around $300,000 on overall project costs. Thin brick on this project was not limited to the exterior of the building. Designers also added the rich masonry to the interior walls, columns of the main corridor, and the resilient low wall surface of the school gym.


Past the gym and offices at the entryway, learning spaces on both levels of the school are premium in their accessibility and features. Sunlight shines into the entire building, from vestibule into offices, through the gym, and up into the two levels of classrooms and collaboration spaces.


Pocket doors connect classroom to the shared spaces outside, with Williams mentioning that the novelty of the sliding doorways make it the preferred way for students to enter and exit the classes at Ellis Elementary.


Overall, combining modern design and construction methods on Ellis Elementary made for a lovely homage to the previous school, where ICF and the thin-brick join to make for a school designed and built to last well into the next century.


Ellis Elementary School Replacement

Owner: Logan City School District

Architect: Design West Architects

General Contractor: DWA Construction

Civil Engineer: Cache Landmark Engineering

Electrical Engineer: Envision Engineering

Mechanical Engineer: VBFA

Structural Engineer: ARW Engineers

Geotech: Gordon Geotechnical

Landscape Architect: Design West Architects

Plumbing & HVAC Subcontractor: KR Plumbing and Mechanical

Electrical Subcontractor: Golden Spike Electric

Concrete: DWA Construction

Steel Erection: Paul Higley Field Welding and Erection

Glass/Curtain Wall: NGI Glass

Masonry: IMS Masonry (ICF Masonry), Hunsaker Exteriors (Thin Brick/EIFS/TAFS)

Tile/Stone: Bird Tile

Other Specialty Contractors: Hart Flooring, Island Heights Construction, Shane Martinez Sealants and Waterproofing, Edge Excavation, Reliance Precast, Distinctive Landscaping

FITS LIKE A GLOVE

Monroe’s newest school, South Sevier Middle, is a perfect fit in the community.

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It’s always a special event in Small Town USA when a new prominent community building goes up. With South Sevier Middle School in tiny Monroe (pop. 2,593), KMA Architects of Spanish Fork designed a school that merged contemporary architecture with community needs.


Blending Old and New

With enrollment of around 350 students, the previous school required replacement to meet the needs of the students, staff, and the community of Sevier County.


“We were able to look upon this project with new eyes from our design team and with the school district and decided to move forward with a replacement school that would be a new, modern take on the existing school and surrounding area,” said Wes Christensen, Principal Architect with KMA.


The existing structure was still in good condition and seismically sound, so interior walls were removed with career and technical education (CTE) shops and three classrooms designed in the shell of the existing structure—a cost-effective blend of old and new. 


Phased construction provided another value-engineering and scheduling win for the middle school. Christensen said the project was designed in phases so that students could move into each recently-completed new phase while other phases were demolished and built. 


As new areas were constructed in phases, the gym, locker rooms, and shops were remodeled and included as part of the new design. 


Location, Location, Location

Set at the base of the mountain side in Monroe, the new school sits proud with the red tinted foothills as a backdrop. The second floor library, positioned over the administration area, looks out across the town, providing inspiring views of the natural surroundings of the valley.


“We felt that if the materials and function of the school are appropriate for the surroundings, the rural community would be accepting of the architecture,” said Christensen. As a hub of the surrounding community, "we wanted the new building to complement the natural beauty of Monroe and the landscape that serves as its backdrop.”


The picturesque foothills nearby inspired the colors and materials utilized for South Sevier Middle School. The brick, block, and stone choices created a unified design palette to complement the surrounding neighborhood and landscape. Copper-colored panels also match the natural hues within the nearby mountainside. Sevier Plateau, located behind the school, includes several canyons whose geographic form provided an additional inspirational spark for the school.


Prioritizing Needs

The main entrance, Christensen explained, acts as a pseudo-canyon through the building, with ceiling clouds rising to the second story. The front staircase looks up into the media center with aluminum-framed storefront windows. A stairway at the base of the long, narrow, two story “canyon” corridor links the classroom stacks to the north wing and its functions.

Security, Christensen said, was a top concern for the new, energy-efficient build. The two classroom stacks can be closed off in an emergency situation and accessed by the main stairway at the main entrance of the building. 


“To help with shutting off the classroom section from the cafeteria,” Christensen explained, “we designed an operable fire door that can be used to separate the spaces at the canyon.”


The new middle school has 19 standard classrooms as well as gymnasium, locker rooms, stage, media center, and  kitchen with a lunchroom. Equipped with a "maker space,” the school houses science labs and hands-on educational experiences like 3D-printing and virtual reality workshops.



Stained polished concrete floors in all common areas measure up to the wear and tear of middle school students, with South Sevier’s compass logo etched into the front entryway. Ample skylights and windows bring in natural light and open the space up.


South Sevier Middle School

Owner: Sevier School District

Architect: KMA Architects, Inc.

General Contractor: Valley Design & Construction

Civil Engineer: Great Basin Engineering

Electrical Engineer: Royal Engineering

Mechanical Engineer: Olsen & Peterson Consulting Engineers

Structural Engineer: Dynamic Structures

Geotech: CMT Laboratories

Landscape Architect: KMA Architects, Inc.

Plumbing & HVAC Subcontractor: SR Mechanical

Electrical Subcontractor: Snow Electrical Inc.

Concrete: RJ Christensen Construction Inc.

Steel Fabrication: OP Steel

Steel Erection: Prosteel, Inc.

Glass/Curtain Wall: G&B Glass Co.

Masonry: IMS Masonry

Tile/Stone: Westech Tile

Other Specialty Contractors: B&S Drywall Inc., Keith Pulham Painting, MC Mill & Design, Premier Floor Company Inc., All Weather Waterproofing Inc., Guaranteed Waterproofing & Construction, Carlisle Excavating, TID Demo, Hatch Precast Products, RBI Inc., Tri-Phase Electric

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.
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