A More Humane Prison

The massive new $1.05 billion Utah State Correctional Facility was designed and constructed with an eye towards turning the corner on recidivism rates, and genuinely providing a better atmosphere for offenders and officers alike.
By Brad Fullmer

As he reflected recently upon the design of the new $1.05 billion ($825 million construction cost), 37-building Utah State Correctional Facility (USCF) compound west of the Salt Lake International Airport off I-80—built to house up to 3,600 offenders but with a current population just under 2,500—Kevin Miller recalled a trip he took to Grand Junction, Colorado, in 1992 to tour the newly completed Mesa County Jail, which was designed as a direct supervision facility. 

Miller, who was only four years into his career at Salt Lake-based GSBS Architects, was riding in the back of a state-owned Ford Econoline van and chatting up then Utah County Jail Commander, Owen Quarnberg, about his decision to push for a similar design type, despite it requiring more staff to operate than an indirect supervision model, which meant increased operational costs. 

“It was a significant outlier because of its direct supervision model—I had never been exposed to anything other than indirect supervision [design],” recalled Miller of local correctional facilities at the time. “I said to him, ‘Owen, why on earth do you want to go for this direct supervision model, which requires more money for staffing, putting officers on the floor in the middle of dangerous people […] everything I had in my head about jail design at the time. Why make this seemingly preposterous decision? He said to me, ‘If I can change one person, I’ve done good’.”

“That moved me,” said Miller, who is one of the foremost authorities in Utah on correctional facility design, having contributed his expertise to 20-plus projects of significance and another dozen minor remodels in Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming, plus a project for Navajo nation in Arizona. “That was the essence of it. It’s not about how cheaply to house 3,600 [offenders]. It’s out of those 3,600, can we fix one, or two, or ten. Or all of them. That’s what moves the needle. At this juncture, I’ve housed—by virtue of my designs—thousands of (offenders). I want to fix some—I don’t want to just house them.” 

The enormous new correctional facility compound—which replaces the long-outdated Utah State Prison (opened in 1951, replacing the Sugar House Prison) previously located at the south end of the Salt Lake Valley—was designed not only as a more occupant-friendly, direct supervision facility, but one that hopefully reduces recidivism rates and provides a better day-to-day environment for offenders and the officers that oversee them. 

“It was a monster of a project,” said Mike Ambre of the combined 1.3 million SF compound. Ambre, Assistant Director of Special Projects for the State of Utah Division of Facilities Construction and Management (DFCM), carried perhaps the heaviest load out of the hundreds of people involved with this facility over the past six-plus years. 


Most people, he says, simply call him “hombre" (Spanish for “man”), a playful twist on his last name, one that was strikingly accurate on this project—Ambre was “the man.” 

“He was the boss out there,” said John Branson, former Principal of GSBS Architects (now a Principal at Salt Lake-based Babcock Design) and one of the main USCF designers, of Ambre. “Mike’s direct responsibility was the entire prison—he had an immense load on his shoulders.”

(Lead Photo) The sprawling 37-building complex sits on nearly 200 acres in the Northwest Quadrant area west of Salt Lake International Airport off I-80 (aerial photo by Don Green Photography).  Incorporating natural daylighting into every housing unit was among the most important design considerations of the entire project (photo courtesy Layton Construction).

Indirect vs. Direct Supervision Models

According to a 2006 report by the Worcester Polytechnic Institute titled Correctional Facility Analysis and Design, a modern-day correctional facility compound (prison) has five primary purposes: 

1) Housing people who cannot function within the boundaries of a law-abiding society.

2) Protecting the general public from dangerous, potentially life-altering/threatening situations.

3) Reformation of offenders (prisoners), which translates into the structure having space allocated for education, social training, religious studies, solitary confinement, etc. 

4) Attempt to “cure” offenders of addictions and other mental health challenges through therapy, group activities.

5) Stand as a public symbol of moral, political, and social virtue. 

Correctional facility design in the U.S. has morphed considerably during this country’s 246-year history, but outside of modern technological advances, many facilities—particularly those that employ the indirect supervision model—are strikingly similar to those built during the country’s early days. 

The massive Eastern State Penitentiary (ESP, also called Cherry Hill) in Philadelphia operated from 1829 to 1971 and is one of the first notable examples of an indirect supervision correctional facility. Widely considered the world’s first true penitentiary, at the time it was the largest and most expensive public building in the U.S. 

Designed by British architect John Haviland, ESP (original capacity 450) became known for its “hub and spoke” design—an octagonal tower in the center connected via corridors to radiating cell blocks, which Haviland said offered watching, convenience, economy, and ventilation.

In 1930s and 40s ‘telephone pole’ design became popular. This design has a central corridor with housing wings built at 90 degrees from the corridor. The Utah State Prison was built in this manner. 

The first direct supervision correctional facility opened in 1981 in Contra Costa, California, the result of a competition by the Federal Bureau of Prisons between three firms, each of which came up with similar designs. The “podular remote” cellblock design of direct supervision models places officers in direct, constant contact with offenders, allowing them to interact on a more personal level and respond to trouble before it escalates. Officers have more responsibility for the organization, supervision and control of the daily operation of a direct supervision housing unit. Direct supervision has been credited with reducing vandalism, enhancing safety, and creating a more positive environment for offenders and officers. By 1983, direct supervision was formally recognized by the National Institute of Corrections.

In Utah and much of the surrounding Intermountain region, Miller said indirect supervision has been the predominant design model chosen by state and local government entities, primarily because of a more cost-effective staff-to-offender ratio of 1 to 244 (one officer can “supervise” 244 offenders) vs. 1 to 64 for direct supervision. The result? Indirect supervision has posted horrible long-term results in reducing recidivism and reforming offenders, according to several correctional facility studies over the past two decades. 

Miller, frankly, had little appetite to be involved with the design of USCF if the Utah Department of Corrections (DOC) and DFCM had chosen the indirect supervision model, despite his lengthy experience and interest with the building type. 

“If it was an indirect supervision jail, I knew what to do—there’s not a lot of mystery, not a lot of ground to explore,” said Miller. The idea of ‘how many bodies can I squeeze into as little square footage as I can?’,” was unappealing. He had a realization of the ineffectiveness of that model in accomplishing any good, other than simply housing “bad people”. 

“Hey, I can keep doing this, but to what purpose? “ he said. “You get to a certain point in your career that you start to treasure the opportunities you can make.”

Miller continued, “Our Department of Corrections, our state, had a more progressive vision, an idea that maybe we can do something different, was intriguing to me and, ultimately, it inspired me to really throw myself into the design of the facility and in trying to solve the problem in a way that really hunted towards those goals. That is rewarding.”

Once leaders from the DOC and DFCM determined the new USCF would be a direct supervision model, architects pursued every avenue to make the sprawling compound more humane. 

Miller specifically mentioned natural daylighting as a major design driver, along with creating spaces that offer a more “normal” existence. There was a lot of give and take between designers and the DOC; not every proposed design idea was accepted, but enough were to tip the scales. 

“It’s prison—let’s be clear,” said Miller. “We have a fundamental obligation to make it safe and secure for offenders and for the officers. You cannot sacrifice safety and security—that is job one.”  For both groups “the humanity of the facility is really important,” Miller said. “For 12 hours a day, [officers] are locked inside the facility in the same way as offenders. When the public thinks about the prison costs and the design attributes we desire to include—they get upset about how ‘nice’ they are—they are overlooking the circumstances of the offenders and the officers.”

He continued, “Daylight was a huge deal for us from the get-go. One of the real breakthroughs in the design was shifting to what everybody refers to as the linear model of housing—cells are arranged on either side of a rectangle around a dayroom. And at one end of the dayroom is a large window that looks out at the world—that’s true from the highest security housing sections to the lowest security housing sections. Every [section] is organized around the same premise. They have unique characteristics, but they all have that fundamental premise of being able to connect to the outside world. That is very, very unique. Everybody who has seen it has loved it.”

Each building unit features different housing styles: eight-person cells, two-person cells, and dormitory style—which offers an increased measure of privacy. 

 
Daylighting is widely considered a top design consideration for most projects, but “when it comes to detention, we consider other things more important,” Miller added. “[Daylighting] was on everybody’s mind from the very beginning. We were able to accomplish that in significant ways.”

The second main design initiative, Miller said, “was to the greatest extent possible, normalize behavior. Prison is an abnormal environment and the further down the rabbit hole of prison design you get, the more abnormal it becomes.”
Miller continued, “The folks in our prison system, on average, are back on the streets (or reincarcerated) after 2.5 years. They have not been given skills to manage life on the outside. We wanted to normalize behavior. Even though you’re in prison, we want you to be responsible for as much of your actions and behavior as possible.”

With the indirect supervision model, the overriding principle is that services are taken to the offenders in their cells—food, medications, even visitation is done via video monitors, so offenders don’t ever leave the main unit they’re housed in. 

With the new USCF, everything is a “go-to” destination for offenders in the general population. “You leave your housing unit, walk to the dining hall, and walk back,” said Miller. “Food, medical (treatment), visitations, education, programming, religious studies—all of these aspects are designed to be as normalized behavior as we can make them, while maintaining safety and security inside the cell.” 


Challenging Site Required Extensive Infrastructure Design

Because of USCF’s location near the Great Salt Lake, soil conditions offered huge initial challenges in getting the site stabilized before infrastructure and vertical construction could even happen. Because of the complexity of each utility system, civil engineers determined it was necessary to 3D model each system to minimize conflicts during construction. Infrastructure included 10+ miles of roadway split between seven miles of new vehicular roadways and another four miles of pedestrian corridors, seven miles of sanitary sewer force main in the Northwest Quadrant to service the new facility, as well as anticipated future development in the Northwest Quadrant. On-site storm drain infrastructure included a pre- vs. post-storm drain analysis, factoring in various Great Salt Lake elevations. Five acre-feet of detention was incorporated into the site to reduce the discharge to the pre-developed flow. Engineers also completed the design and modeling of separate culinary and fire distribution systems. The modeling included culinary service for a population of 5,000 individuals (offenders, officers, staff, and visitors) distributed through approximately 180 developed acres and 31 buildings.

Environmental services included Wetland and Waters of the U.S. Delineations, Class I and Class III Cultural Resource Inventories, and coordination with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). The compound includes a 2MG water tank with an associated pump station, a regional gas meter farm, a regional power substation, and a sanitary sewer screening facility on site. 

Because of the location so close to the shores of the Great Salt Lake, and the high corrosivity of the soils, the site required extensive protection for all the underground utilities. This included 7.5 miles of new 24-in. waterline along the roadway, 13 miles of 16-in. and 18-in. sewer force main, and 1,800 ft. of gravity sewer line. Nearly one million cubic yds of fill was required just to bring the site to grade.

Electrical infrastructure was also substantial and included a wide array of design aspects, including a new electrical substation, a large central plant, a highly redundant power system from the substation to each critical on-site building, underground 15kV distribution in looped configuration, and complex power, lighting, fire alarm, and AV/IT systems. The system includes over 25,000 LF of two-way, four-way, and six-way underground duct banks, multiple substation transformers, a 10 MW medium voltage backup generator plant, and a campus wide SCADA load management system, all of which is vital to ensure continuous power availability for this critical facility.

The complex CM/GC joint venture involved coordination between multiple electrical contractors, dozens of phased bid packages, and coordination with half a dozen or more building engineers. 

The schedule was aided by the utilization of precast concrete cells which were prefabricated at an off-site casting yard by Ogden-based Oldcastle Precast. Once on-site, the cells were finished with fixture installation and other aesthetic finishes. Electrical and mechanical stubouts were provided for final connection to the building systems.


Lower security housing units feature dorm-style beds for increased privacy (photo by Sohm Photografx).  Mike Ambre (Photo above)—everyone calls him ‘hombre’—was indeed ‘the man’ for DFCM Utah on this project, investing six-plus years of his career and interacting with literally hundreds of people from the Utah Department of Corrections, the Utah legislature, and the local A/E/C community. Highly complex systems  like this massive mechanical room are a hallmark throughout the complex and required the expertise of dozens of reliable, skilled trade partners

Getting Real About Final Cost; Construction Teams Overcome Myriad Challenges

The Utah State Legislature originally approved plans for the new USCF in August 2015, with a budget of $550 million, which quickly grew to $690 million, and ultimately topped the billion-dollar mark by the time of final completion in May 2022. 

Ambre said the project—which broke ground in December 2017—started slowly, with the schedule bogged down somewhat due to funding challenges and procurement timelines. Eventually, the state legislature recognized the need to provide more funding for the project to prevent schedule delays. 

“The legislature and everybody else saw the writing on the wall and when they came to grips with the real cost there was a pendulum swing overnight,” said Ambre about receiving adequate funding. “That helped a lot with morale.” 

The state hired the joint venture team of Big-D Construction of Salt Lake and Phoenix-based Kitchell Corp. to review designs, track cost estimates, evaluate bids, and help with overall project management. while a second joint venture team of Salt Lake-based Okland Construction and Sandy-based Layton Construction served as CM/GC. 

Joint venture projects are typically challenging due to sheer size and scope factors, in addition to trying to meld diverse company cultures between firms that are typically fierce competitors. On USCF, top project executives from both Okland and Layton said there was an emphasis from the beginning to get all team members working together so as to mitigate schedule delays while maintaining premium quality. 

“We knew it was important to integrate and act as a single team,” said Shauna Deskins, Sr. Project Manager for Okland. “We knew we would be asking people to get uncomfortable and work in uncharted territory. 

“A joint venture is always a challenge bringing cultures together and getting everybody on the same page,” added Dave Whimpey, Construction Manager for Layton. “Our management teams were integrated and worked together. A bid package team may consist of a Layton project manager and an Okland superintendent, with a project engineer from each company. I believe the way we integrated our teams created a spirit of teamwork. We tried to focus on our similarities. We realized we’re more alike than we are different.” 

The scope of the project was unlike anything the state and even some of the contractors had built previously.

“It is a one-of-a-kind facility with a lot of firsts on this project,” said Deskins of the complex infrastructure and massive scope. “It’s like a little city.”

The construction team broke the entire complex down into individual projects, which was critical to keep it on schedule. 

“In trying to manage a project of this size you have to break it down into pieces,” said Whimpey. “With 30-plus buildings on a 200-acre site, each building had its own set of plans and documents and we had individual teams to manage each project. In some cases, we had multiple buildings in one package. It was figuring out what makes the most sense in trying to eat it one slice at a time.” 

The project was in full-swing when the Covid-19 pandemic struck in March 2020, sending initial shockwaves that caused significant concern among leaders on how to keep the project moving forward, while ensuring the health and safety of a workforce that reached 1,500 during peak construction times. Complex electrical and mechanical systems (plumbing and HVAC) required seven different contractors per trade, illustrating the massive scope of this project. Virtually every trade required at least four different companies just to meet the schedule. 

“The very beginning of Covid, it was like the world shut down,” said Ambre. “The biggest thing was the fear of the unknown and how contagious it was. We were almost peaking with 1,200 in manpower at that time. It was interesting how we strategize on how to keep people safe on site and keep the project running. I don’t think we lost any time [with the schedule]. We had procured 95% of items and were in front of supply chain issues.”

The strictest of protocols were put into place, not the easiest undertaking when dealing with literally thousands of workers from more than 450 subcontractor firms. 

“Covid shook us, but there was some good that came out of it,” said Deskins. “There was initially a huge fear with every craft worker regarding how quickly [an outbreak] could shut the work down. There was a huge need to pull together and take care of each other—our trade partners embody that. All protocols were met—they rose to the challenge.”

“Just keeping the job going was a unique success, and without any large outbreaks,” added Whimpey.

Ambre said once the facility was completed and turned over to the Department of Corrections, very few major construction punch-list items. 

Ambre praised the design team of GSBS and HOK for pushing the envelope on making the facility more humane and hospitable. 

“To Kevin and his team, HOK, John Branson, I give them a lot of credit. This was such a monster, and to keep consistency and to have the horsepower to pump out that many drawings—it’s remarkable what they achieved,” said Ambre. “Kevin was hoping to swing the pendulum a little more towards the European model—a less hardened version of [correctional facilities]—which gives more respect, more freedoms, opportunities, and learning experiences from where the Department of Corrections has been the past 60 years. It was tricky to convince them to go in that direction. We understand we’re not here to warehouse [offenders]. We’re here to help with recidivism.” 

“It was a very complicated project,” said Branson. “I always equated it to building a small city. It has all the functions of a small city, plus it was a complicated site with major soil issues. It was a constant learning experience.” 

“I’m very proud of the work we did,” said Miller. “It’s not necessarily the type of architecture I imagined myself doing when I went to architecture school, but I think, for once, we might have moved the needle. It’s more humane, more normative, and hopefully a more purposeful facility than any other I’ve been involved with. I really hope it makes a difference.”

“I take huge pride in what we were able to accomplish,” said Branson. “I worked with great people in an intense environment. It’s part of my legacy but also for probably 75 architects and engineers. Everyone should be proud. It’s not glamorous, but the outcome is important. It serves a critical social function. No one wants to spend money on prisons—that’s understood. But it is part of our society. Until society changes, here we are.”

Ambre added, “One thing I take away from it, is there is always more than just one solution. This job taught me that you have to listen to everybody’s perspective. You can’t think that you have the [right] answer.”

“To have the safety record we did with the number of man hours we had was impressive,” said Whimpey. “Kudos to the entire team across the board. I would often be talking to our employees and say, ‘I don’t think any of us will realize how much we’ve grown until after it’s done.’ I recognize the growth we all had working together on this project, both our company and all individuals involved. To do a project of this size was very satisfying.”


Project Team

Owner: Utah DFCM

Management: Department of Corrections 


Design Team

Architect: GSBS Architects; HOK

Civil Engineer: Horrocks Engineers; Psomas 

Electrical Engineer: HOK; Spectrum Engineers; Envision Engineering

Mechanical Engineer: HOK; Colvin Engineering; Spectrum Engineers

Structural Engineer: HOK; Reaveley Engineers; Dunn Associates

Geotechnical Engineer: Gerhart Cole

Landscape Architect: GSBS Architects

Food Service: Faassen & Associates 

Building Code: Jensen Hughes, Inc.

Specialty Consultants: Corrosion Control Technologies; Sierra West Consulting; Trommer & Assoc.; MKK Consulting Engineers; Parametrix, Inc. 


Construction Team

General Contractor: Layton Construction/Okland Construction JV

Managing Consultant: Big-D Construction/Kitchell (BDK) JV 

Concrete: Layton, Okland, JRock, MG Green (site), Ralph L. Wadsworth

Plumbing: A&B Mechanical, Archer Mechanical, Harris Mechanical, J&S Mechanical, KHI Mechanical, Kozco Mechanical

HVAC: A&B Mechanical, Archer Mechanical, Harris Mechanical, J&S Mechanical, KHI Mechanical, MJ Mechanical 

Electrical: CVE, Grandstaff Electric, JP Electrical, Probst Electric, STF Electrical, Wilson Electric, Wasatch Electric

Masonry: IMS Masonry, JH Masonry, Child Enterprises, Allen’s Masonry

Drywall/Acoustics: K&L Acoustic & Drywall, Alpine Drywall, Golder Acoustics, CSI Drywall, DAW Construction, KCG Management 

Painting: Pacific Painting, Grow Painting, Cornerstone Painting, RP Painting

Tile/Stone: CP Build Enterprises, Millcreek Tile & Stone

Carpentry: ISEC, Anvil Construction, Artistic Mill, Boswell Wasatch, Contempo Cabinets

Flooring: Wall 2 Wall, Flooring Services, Spectra Contract Flooring

Roofing: Superior, Heritage, All Weather Waterproofing, Progressive, Noorda

Glass/Curtain Wall: Mollerup Glass, NGI, CML/Cornerstone, Capitol Commercial Glazing, Beacon Metals

Steel Fabrication: Glassey, Schuff Steel, Amfab, Intermark, Boman & Kemp, Ezarc Welding, Harris Rebar

Steel Erection: Glassey, Schuff Steel, Amfab, Intermark, Boman & Kemp, AP Welding

Precast: Olympus Precast, Oldcastle 

Landscaping: RBI 

Like a Phoenix Rising

By Bradley Fullmer • November 15, 2025
Residents have access to a wealth of modern, high-class amenities: Check out this open-air rooftop patio with tasteful lighting, pool, and spacious hot tub—it’s party time! (all photos courtesy Kier Construction)

Mission In Progress

By LADD MARSHALL • November 15, 2025
Steve Green is out in McCornick, Utah. Where is that? And what’s near McCornick? “Nothing,” joked Green, the Sr. Vice President for Wheeler Machinery Co. While he may be far from even the smallest of small towns, with Holden and its 492 residents 13 miles away, he’s close to the site of a major development in data center technology. Isolated on the western edge of the Sevier Desert, the Joule Data Center will also be isolated from the grid—by design. Operation Gigawatt Rolls On Green is one of many energy and power professionals hoping to double Utah’s power generation capacity by 2034 as a part of Operation Gigawatt, an initiative launched by Utah Governor Spencer Cox in October 2024. Utah has long been an economic growth leader; Operation Gigawatt aims to make Utah a power player in energy development by increasing transmission capacity, increasing energy production, strengthening policy, and investing in energy innovation. While Governor Cox’s Operation Gigawatt moves forward statewide, out in McCornick, Green said, “We’re doing operation gigawatt and a half off grid.” The Joule Data Center project team will deliver “In-situ power generation”—power not connected to any electrical distribution or transmission system. It starts with Caterpillar G3520K reciprocating generator sets that produce 1.5 gigawatts of electricity. Waste heat and exhaust from the generators then move through an absorption chiller system as part of the overall systems combined cooling, heat, and power (CCHP) solution, providing much of the water required to cool the data center servers. Beyond the electric power to be generated for the Joule project, there will be 1.5 gigawatts of thermal energy and 1.1 gigawatts of available battery storage to meet the data center's peak electricity needs. Added Green, “And we’re not taxing the local utility grid.” Isolated or Community Power? The massive power capabilities delivered there are impressive, but they reveal a troubling trend in how Utah will double its power generation capabilities. Will it be from well-funded companies looking to power data centers and AI technology separate from the grid? Or will Utah fulfill the mission of Operation Gigawatt by creating power solutions accessible to all? According to Troy Thompson, Chief Operations Officer for Big-D Companies, power generation is about more than supplying data centers. “In my mind, how do we build a billion-dollar hospital downtown that needs ten megawatts of power?” he said, referencing Intermountain Health’s future downtown Salt Lake campus, “let alone the data centers, and manufacturers who we are hoping that will come here?” Ten megawatts of power may pale in comparison to what data centers require, but it is one of many projects seeking regulatory approval to move forward. The Utah Inland Port Authority, the Economic Development Corporation of Utah, and others continue to drive projects and jobs into Utah—data centers, too. But Thompson said he has heard from many potential clients who are hesitant to bring their energy-intensive projects to the state without firm guarantees of available power. Operation Gigawatt and state leaders have embraced an "all of the above" approach to energy sources, extending the design lifespans of coal plants, embracing new technologies and power sources, and developing new power-generating capabilities. While the industry is willing, the operating environment needs rewiring to meet state goals. Changing for 21st Century Needs “With as hot as the Utah market is,” began Eric Haslem, “there are too many obstacles for us to overcome.” The market may be ready to ramp up production, said Haslem, Chief Operating Officer for Vernal-based utility and heavy civil contractors BHI, “But the current system can’t handle it. We have this massive web of transmission and distribution infrastructure that was not designed or built for the power demands of the 21st century.” “In 1970, they didn’t know what a smartphone was,” Haslem said, “let alone AI.” Transmission projects have been developed. Rocky Mountain Power/PacifiCorp’s Energy Gateway South transmission line—a 416-mile, high-voltage 500-kilovolt transmission line that runs from Mona to Medicine Bow, Wyoming—certainly helped when it went live in 2024. Still, it's just one project amidst a plethora of needs. Haslem stated that Utah's growth over the last 10 years meant a large majority of the transmission line's capacity was accounted for when it went live. .

One-Stop Shop

By Bradley Fullmer • November 15, 2025
And the King shall answer and say unto them, "Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."—KJV Matthew 25:40 From a social and community impact standpoint, few projects match the value to disabled and special needs individuals as the new Utah State Development Center (USDC) Comprehensive Therapies Building in American Fork. The $36 million, 65,000-SF facility was designed as a "one-stop shop," said Joe Jacoby, President of Salt Lake-based Jacoby Architects, whose team led the project’s design. It consolidates and modernizes myriad services under one roof, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, recreational therapy, speech, language, and hearing resources, and behavioral health resources. In addition, the new building offers full-service medical and dental clinics, an indoor therapy pool, an Autism treatment wing, and workshops for life skills and vocational training—all geared to helping people live independent, authentic lives, while striving to reach their full potential. "This building was very much about accessibility," Jacoby said, "and putting in many different types of resources for these residents—all in one building." Jacoby's firm has significant recent experience in projects that combine education and healthcare for people with special needs. The firm's design of the Sorenson Legacy Foundation Center for Clinical Excellence in Utah State University's College of Education and Human Services earned UC+D's 2016 Most Outstanding K-12 Project. Two years later, the firm earned another UC+D award for the C. Mark Openshaw Education Center for the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, a project similar to this one in that it contains an array of services, including education and therapy for varying levels of sensory, behavioral, physical, and cognitive abilities. "We've been working on different [design] aspects for many years, starting with a deaf preschool, which led to working with the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind," said Jacoby. "With that came many other sub-specialties, like therapy for behavioral issues, cognitive issues, development disabilities, and even speech, language and hearing clinics. It helps people with a variety of disabilities and serves an underserved population of people."

Built Different

By Taylor Larsen • November 15, 2025
On a fall tour of Utah State University's (USU) Carolyn & Kem Gardner Learning & Leadership Building (Gardner Building), students and faculty are hard at work on a late Tuesday afternoon. Getting here, where USU's business school students could thrive, was a long time coming. The University commissioned the Gardner Building to meet a new mission for the school outside the traditional knowledge acquisition and transfer for which USU has excelled since its founding in 1888: Giving students a differentiated experience they cannot get anywhere else. Purpose Revealed Frank Caliendo, Senior Associate Dean of the Huntsman School of Business, said that the new building is the third and final piece of the business complex, "a realization of the longtime vision of Dean Douglas Anderson, the driving force behind the school's transformation, to meet the needs of students for generations to come." Caliendo, a longtime Aggie (USU BS, '98; PhD, '03), said that, even after the opening of the George S. Eccles Business Building and its faculty offices and classrooms in 1970, growth in business courses eventually outpaced the school's capacity. Jon M. Huntsman Hall's 2016 opening broke the campus bottleneck, with classrooms and other spaces dedicated to business school participants. "But we still needed space for our centers and experiential learning programs," Caliendo said, of the importance of collaborative spaces and differentiated experience for the five programs (see page XX) that would call the Gardner Building home. The design intent for this final piece wasn't a re-creation of Huntsman Hall, Caliendo said of the initial message to MHTN Architects, "But it does need to rhyme with Huntsman Hall." Working within a Busy Environment The first order of business was siting the building just east of the other two business school structures. Stan Burke, Project Manager for Jacobsen Construction, said the Gardner Building was part of a trio of projects that included Ridge Point Hall and a parking garage—three Jacobsen-led projects that utilized the same construction corridor as construction commenced from "An active campus is difficult enough," said Burke of the challenges of simultaneous construction, which required constant coordination amongst the three teams, made a tad easier as they shared a job trailer. "We had to stay cognizant of the school's activities and coordinate with them so that everyone was aware of what we were doing." Coordination went from important to critical, with the three teams meeting daily to discuss coordination and scheduling material and equipment deliveries in 15-minute intervals as the respective construction teams worked on each of the three structures.

The Long and Winding Road

By Bradley Fullmer • November 15, 2025
Warren and Jennie Lloyd (above) have built Salt Lake-based Lloyd Architects into a well-rounded, versatile firm capable of excelling in both the commercial and custom residential markets, as evidenced by projects such as Snuck Farm in Pleasant Grove (main photo) and this cozy private Powder Mountain based cabin in Eden (below ).

Power Player

By Bradley Fullmer • November 15, 2025
The last five years have been a whirlwind for the Larry H. Miller Company (LHM), with the organization selling the majority of its beloved Utah Jazz franchise in October 2020 for a reported $1.66 billion, followed by the sale of its auto dealership empire of more than 70 properties for a reported $3.2 billion a year later. The influx of nearly $5 billion was parlayed into several jaw-dropping real estate and other corporate purchases, including: —1,300 undeveloped acres within the massive 4,100-acre Daybreak development in South Jordan in April 2021. —Advanced Health Care Corp. in January 2021, a transitional health care provider with operations in eight states (primarily in the west) and 3,500 employees. —The purchase of the majority stake in Swig, a leader in the flavored soda craze, in May 2023. — Partnering with Utah Trust Lands Administration to develop 1,200 acres in Saratoga Springs. — The acquisition of over 1,000 acres near Park City and Hideout will include multi-family units, housing, restaurants, and retail. —100+ acre mixed-use development in an area along North Temple being dubbed “The Power District”; the future home of not only Rocky Mountain Power’s new corporate campus but potentially a ballpark for a future Major League Baseball expansion team. —A reported $600 million acquisition of controlling interest in MLS team Real Salt Lake and NWSL team Utah Royals, along with associated infrastructure, including America First Field and Zions Bank Training Center. —The development of Downtown Daybreak, a 200-acre parcel that this year saw its 30-acre Phase I debut with the completion of the Salt Lake Bees' new 8,000 capacity stadium—dubbed The Ballpark at America First Square—in April, followed by a new Megaplex cinema entertainment center in July with luxury theatres, bowling, games and a scratch-made kitchen in addition to an open air plaza. A seven-story, 190-unit multi-family development is currently under construction and rising along the right field bleachers, with views that will look down into the ballpark upon completion next year. And LHM is just getting started, said Brad Holmes, President of Larry H. Miller Real Estate since 2018, calling Downtown Daybreak a "new urban center that is central to where the majority of growth is occurring" and combines a "full spectrum of business and year-round entertainment, culture and connectivity, as well as a wide range of housing options." When LHM executives first conceived of a new home for the Salt Lake Bees, Holmes said they went on a "ballpark tour" of MLB and minor league stadiums, and "really fell in love with a ballpark" in Durham, North Carolina—home of the Durham Bulls—which had buildings that framed in the stadium. So, The Ballpark at America First Square has the multi-family project underway in right field, with a proposed hotel slated to begin next year in left field. "In another two seasons, you'll have this urban setting for the ballpark that frames the mountain views. [The design is] really intentional, and I think it will bring a finished edge to Downtown Daybreak," said Holmes. "It was a process trying to figure out the best location, site plan, traffic, but it's in a great spot. The goal for us was to make it feel like it fit in with the community, almost like having a baseball stadium inside of a park, with an open corridor that connects to a plaza."  Holmes said the seemingly small 8,000-capacity stadium (about half the capacity of the Bees former home at Smith’s Ballpark) aligns with national trends. "It's better to play in front of a sold-out crowd than in a half-empty stadium. Some new MLB stadiums are at 30,000 [capacity]. The trend is smaller, more intimate venues with closer views of the field."

Hogan Construction 80th Anniversary

By Taylor Larsen • November 15, 2025
Much has changed about Hogan & Associates Construction since the company's inception 80 years ago. The name may be the most obvious example, the size of the company may be another giveaway, and the difference in markets served might require a double take if the founders could see the company today. But what hasn't changed is the firm's desire to build communities. It has regularly built important, community-focused projects with a similar purpose since the company came to life in 1945.

(De)signed, Sealed, Delivered

By Taylor Larsen • November 15, 2025
Imagine this: A company has just begun a meeting with the intent of moving forward with a major investment. One party knows something that will help minimize the investment's risk. Should that party tell everyone, it will save money, time, and everyone involved from future headaches. So when should that party spill the beans? At the beginning of the meeting At the end of the meeting At the right time during the meeting Never Bradley Crocker, Director of Preconstruction for Mollerup Glass, has seen how answering this question correctly—and choosing “A”—brings about successful and profitable investment in commercial construction. “I think that [project teams] need to bring in subcontractors early to help guide budgets in general,” said Crocker, detailing how every trade can bring a similar level of expertise to architects and owners by being involved from the beginning of the “meeting”, while the project is in design. Why? “We can vet cost versus performance and find the best value for the performance, which is essential as meeting or beating the budgets gets the project to construction on time,” said Ben Hiatt, Chief Estimator for Steel Encounters. After all, he said, “Nothing moves if budgets are not met.” Design-assist is a positive step forward, where subcontractors assist in matching design intent with a deep understanding of building envelopes to ensure glazing, roofing, walls, and fenestrations perform at their highest level. Glenn Rainey, Salt Lake City Branch Manager, and Larry Luque, Senior Estimator and Business Developer for Flynn Companies, each said efforts in design-assist fulfill what owners and architects want: buildings that meet the design intent and perform at their highest level for as long as possible. It’s not just architects who benefit from that early involvement. “More GCs realize they need us right up front,” said Luque. With teams whose combined experience totals thousands of hours, building envelope contractors stay up to date on changing codes, materials, and specifications, which is highly beneficial to the project. Their close involvement with vendors can help ensure a variety of solutions that meet each job’s needs and help optimize building envelope performance. Consultant Involvement Other parties are lending their expertise. Brandt Strong said building envelope quality has increased with the arrival of more building envelope consultants in Utah and a greater dedication to the building envelope in general. “We had a time where we could say ‘This is a Vegas project, and we have to have the belt and suspenders,’” said Strong, Director of Operations for Mollerup Glass. On Utah projects, the building envelope used to be an afterthought. But it’s changed for the better over the years. “The Utah teams are as sophisticated as anywhere else.” While the markups on shop drawings can draw some ire, both mentioned how working with consultants has led to better, more efficient projects, potentially reducing the need for future repairs by inspecting every material and transition on the building envelope. Said Crocker, “We cannot discredit the envelope consultants’ role in making us, and the industry as a whole, perform at a higher level.” Hiatt credited each party overseeing the building envelope scope for learning and adapting to create a better building environment, specifically in understanding seismic drift and its relationship to glazing, as well as thermal performance and continuity. Improvements to air-barrier coordination and tie-ins to stop water and air leaks are helping buildings operate at peak efficiency. “The architects, general contractors, consultants, and trades have improved their knowledge over the years,” said Hiatt. “Design and execution of façades are better coordinated and executed.”

Taylor Electric Thriving at 50

By Bradley Fullmer • November 15, 2025
Taylor Electric proved its mettle on the challenging Salt Lake International Airport, Southeast Concourse project, with their portion of work concluding in October 2023. (all photos courtesy Taylor Electric)

Hungry and Ready

By Bradley Fullmer and Taylor Larsen • November 15, 2025
By Bradley Fullmer It's been a whirlwind 18 months for Adam Del Toro and Nick Pexton, who co-founded Fountain Green-based Reliance Engineering Services in May 2024, a company specializing in full-service telecommunications engineering, including design, project management, permitting, and funding and grant applications. Two years ago, Del Toro was more than a decade into his career as a Research & Development Supervisor for natural gas giant Dominion Energy, while Pexton was working for Nephi-based Rocky Mountain West Telcom (RMWT) as a Sr. Director of Business Development, with just over four years at the company. The two had met a couple of years earlier while collaborating on a potential fiber optic network project in Mona that never happened. Neither was particularly content with their respective positions, so when Del Toro got a random call from Pexton in March 2024, the timing could not have been better. "I was planning on leaving the natural gas industry and start my own firm [...] Nick happened to call the day I was putting in my two weeks [at Dominion],” said Del Toro, 39. "It definitely felt like Providence was helping us." "Somebody was looking after us, because the timing was unbelievable," added Pexton, 35. "It's crazy how things lined up." Del Toro is a native of St. George and earned a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from Utah State University in 2011. After 2.5 years as a USU Graduate Research Assistant, he joined Dominion Energy in January 2013, where he designed major natural gas systems and structures. Del Toro also earned a Master of Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of the Cumberlands (Williamsburg, Kentucky) in 2023, and moonlights as a counselor at The Center for Hope in Springville, where he helps clients address life challenges both personally and professionally. Pexton is a native of Nephi and studied at Utah Valley University from 2008 to 2010, and earned the Certified Telecommunications Network Specialist designation from Teracom Training Institute (2013-2014). Pexton joined Nephi-based Mid-State Consultants, a telecommunications engineering firm, in March 2011 and spent more than nine years there. He joined RMWT in June 2020, gaining experience in project management and operations. After that fortuitous phone call from Pexton to Del Toro, the pair met four times from March to May to "make sure we were aligned on what the company would look like," Pexton said. "It was a pretty quick process," added Del Toro. "We got talking about goals, how to build a general company vision. I trusted Nick's background and experience, and his character, as well. It was a big risk, but I'm a sink-or-swim guy. If those are my options, I'm going to swim!" Since teaming up, the pair have been aggressive regarding company growth, having exploded from just the two of them to 30 employees, with revenues expected to more than quintuple from $560,000 in 2024 to nearly $3 million by the end of this year. Both expect the telecommunication market to be a fruitful, busy market given the need for fiber optics to rural America, in addition to the "Internet for All" initiative in May 2022 that was part of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) implementation of the infrastructure law that allocated $65 billion to improve high-speed Internet access. Utah, specifically, received $330 million, with the goal of reaching some 40,000 unserved homes and businesses. The firm's location in Sanpete County puts them in the center of the state geographically, and they're committed to working with communities of all sizes to improve their internet capacity. In addition to Utah, Reliance is working in Michigan and Oklahoma, and Del Toro and Pexton expect to land significant future work throughout the Midwest. They want to grow intentionally while ensuring a diversity of revenue streams. "We set some early goals, and we've been able to do really well—we're on track to beat our goals," said Del Toro, crediting the many employees who have joined the firm. "Those individuals took great risks coming on board. We anticipate we'll be even larger next year with the work coming down the pipeline." "Our outlook has been wise," said Pexton. "We've taken into consideration diversification into other sectors—that's a key element. Adam has experience in the natural gas industry, and we want to further our diversification and get into the power side of the industry." Major clients include the federal government (USDA), utility companies, and municipalities, with a focus on rural communities. "We love Sanpete County," said Del Toro. "We value helping the communities we live and work in and providing services that help build up the community and hopefully help the residents." "We depend on repeat work from 18 major clients, and continuously getting work from them," said Pexton. "The minute we stop doing a good job, they can go someplace else. As long as we do a good job, we'll keep getting work." The pair expect Reliance to maintain its explosive growth, perhaps even doubling its employee total in another 12 months. "Next year's [revenue] goal is $4.8 million," said Pexton. "We have confidence in what our workload will be like. We are scaling quite dramatically and want to grow at a healthy pace, where we're not stringing ourselves out too thin. We're in a good position right now."