university of utah 2003 Newsletter AGRADUATERCHITECTURE SCHOOL OF VOLUME 16 Message From the Dean response to the systems of the urban setting, the histori- Brenda Case Scheer, AIA, AICP studies. The University of Utah is well known for cal and cultural vernacular, and the natural innovation in digital technology and our faculty is (beautiful/delicate/dangerous) environment. We want to It is an auspicious year for the known for advances in applications of digital media. be known as a school that brings human values to the Graduate School of What is less well known is our strength in traditional forefront. Architecture. Every few media like modeling and sketching. Several faculty On urbanism, we will be active in several fronts. years there is a chance, write and research in this area and our students, First, we intend to reconnect with the community to through the naming of a unlike in many schools of architecture, receive as actively offer our expertise for current problems. Second, new dean, to reenergize, much training in hand media as they do in digital. We we are exploring the possibility of offering an accredited to think about what has are particularly proud of the excellent use made of graduate degree in urban planning. We hope that by come before and what will new digital media, but as I look out my window today, housing such a program in the college we will be able to happen now. I am honored I see students arrayed around the courtyard learning to make synergies between architecture and planning that to have been selected to visualize with hand and eye - by sketching. do not now exist. follow in the footsteps of Our second strength, vernacular studies, comprises More and more, a consistent message is necessary to former deans Roger Bailey, the Western Regional Architecture Program as well as compete and to gain a reputation. Improving our image Bob Bliss, Carl Inoway the multitude of historical and preservation studies is fundamental to our mission - we will be carrying the and Bill Miller. and building assessments of our faculty. Each summer message about our strengths both locally and nationally. Although we are very students take off to document vernacular examples. Our activities will include inviting national visiting different people, I My own research focuses on what might be called scholars, improving our web page and other communica- think our commonality "vernacular urbanism" - the study of ordinary city tions, supporting a national AIAS convention, and is the passion that we form and its evolution. The GSA offers an unusually sprucing up our building. A national presence insures the bring to our work here. wide array of specialized architectural history courses, value of your degree and helps us attract better students A new era implies a new agenda, but it also requires from contemporary Scandinavian architecture to and faculty. respecting what we already do very well. The faculty and I Japanese traditional building. Finally, finding new sources of funding is crucial. have been discussing our strengths as a way of getting at These areas of strength will be built upon as we Dwindling public resources means a much larger part of the fundamental things we do not want to change. move forward with several new initiatives. I have pro- our budget must come from donations and research Foremost among these is the family atmosphere of the posed four fundamental areas for improvement: activities. We are lucky to have a large percentage of our GSA. Our intimate setting allows individuals to be known design, urbanism, image and funding. alumni who give annually to support our program and and nurtured. This is just as important for faculty and staff In design, the faculty and I are interested in our scholarships and we thank you for your continued as it is for students. The scale and openness of the school exploring how we can best introduce methods and support. I look forward to working with you, my door is environment is what attracted me to come to Utah. ideas that nurture the student's natural tendency to always open. Our current strengths also include two interesting and want to improve the world. We see emphasizing an unique areas of concentration: visualization and vernacular ethical agenda, where design is seen as a humanistic GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE NON-PROFIT ORG UNIVERSITY OF UTAH U.S. POSTAGE 375 SOUTH 1530 EAST, #235 PAID SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH PERMIT NO. 1529 84112–0370 SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED AGRADUATERCHITECTURE SCHOOL OF Alumni News AWARDS ALUMNI UPDATES Congratulations to All Paul Ellingson, B.F.A. of Arch’63, is Stanley E. O’Larey, B.F.A. in Arch’60, currently working on publishing his book on currently works in carpentry and suggests the continumorphic (sic) theory. that all architecture students be required to Blaine R. Kemsley, M.Arch’83, has work in the building trades during the sum- EMA Architects, LLC won the Best Art-Related Expansion for the year been working for the Department of Defense mer. 2001 in the state of Utah for the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. as a project manager since 1985, and will be George J. Corrigam, M.Arch’75, is heading to Germany to be Chief of the A–E working as a Sr. Project Manager in CA, as Eric Strain, M.Arch’90, of ericSTRAIN, ARCHITECT was the winner of Contracts Unit. well as holding a position as commissioner two awards in the unbuilt category at the Annual AIA Nevada Awards John Blumthal, M.Arch'75, is the prin- in the City of Pleasant Hill Architectural Program for his Lynn Bennett Early Childhood Development Center at cipal of Yost Grube Hall Architecture in Review Commission and the California UNLV and the Mesquite Heritage Museum and Art Center. His firm was Portland, Oregon. He currently is serving as Architect’s Board. the only multiple winner this year, and this marks the fifth year in a row the president of the Portland Chapter of the Eugene E. Carr, FAICP, B.F.A. in that ericSTRAIN, ARCHITECT had been honored at the annual program. AIA, and was recently appointed to serve on Arch’60, is holding a career as a the Portland Mayor’s City Design Initiative Community Development Advisor and Cooper Roberts Simonsen Architects was recognized by the APA for their Task Force. occasionally teaches classes on Urban betterment of Utah communities. They received two achievement awards Dave Pugsley, M.Arch’82, and Wade Planning at the U aside from developing for their Utah Town Master Plan, and their South Salt Lake Light Rail Simpson, M.Arch’89, are working together training programs for citizen planners. Corridor Master Plan. Their plans are anti strip mall oriented and will help at Welles Pugsley Architects in Las Vegas, Steve Crane, FAIA, M.Arch’75, was to clean up parts of South Salt Lake. They also received many awards for which was begun in 1988 by Dave and an elevated to the prestigious College of their work with the Park City Transportation Center including two Envision associate. Recent AIA award winning proj- Fellows this spring. He is a principal in the Utah Governor’s Quality Growth Awards, selection as a finalist in the ects include the UNLV Lied Library and The SLC firm of VCBO Architecture and has Physical Fitness of Cities, and the prestigious Ahwahnee Award, which was Clark County Building Inspector’s Office made many contributions of time to the presented in January of 2002 at a conference held in San Diego, CA. Building. community as well as serving as the AIA Ed Merrill, John McConkie, Ben Salt Lake Chapter President. Rogers, Eric Petersen, M.Arch’99, are all Andrew R. Schafer, M.Arch’99, is cur- completing their internships at Cooper rently living in Portland, Oregon and Roberts Simonsen Architects, as well as employed by Group Mackenzie, which spe- THE UTAH CHAPTER OF THE AIA ANNOUNCED THE tackling the exams. cializes in high-tech commercial/industrial RECIPIENTS OF ITS ANNUAL AWARDS FOR 2001 Jesse Beck, AIA, NCARB, M.Arch’82, facilities. WHICH WERE GIVEN IN OCTOBER 2001. has just completed his 14th year at Freeman William H. Nelson, AIA, B.F.A. in French Freeman Inc in Vermont where he Arch’54, after a long successful career of has been president for five years. practicing architecture in Utah and THE HONOR AWARDS WENT TO Additionally he served as president for the California, has retired and is enjoying the Burlington Rotary Club and in the Lake company of his wife of fifty-two years and Prescott Muir Architects Champlain Regional Chamber of fifteen grandchildren. Utah Museum of Fine Arts Commerce. Randall M. Smith, M.Arch’85, has (Marcia and John Price Museum Building) Jeffery L. Davis, M.Arch’01, is com- founded his own firm entitled Randall M. Gillies Stransky Brems Smith, PC pleting his IDP at Gould Evans Associates in Smith, Architect, and has worked as a proj- Utah Olympic Oval SLC, and is preparing to take the licensure ect and design architect for the last 14 tests. He has been elected to the People’s years. He has completed a number of proj- THE MERIT AWARDS WENT TO Freeway Community Council in his local ects that can be found in the Southern community in SLC. Utah/Nevada area. Jensen Haslem Architect PC Abravanel Hall Expansion Prescott Muir Architects Bridge Projects VCBO Architecture, L.L.C. Brigham Young University Miller Park EMA Architects, L.L.C. Rose Wagner Center for the Performing Arts Phase 2 Gillies Stransky Brems Smith PC South Towne Exposition Center Tobler Duncker Architects, MJSA Architects Jim Webber Residence Randall Smith: Magda Jakovcev Architects Bluff Street Redesign of the Old Ford Motor Company Building ExecutiveTowers As the new Director of Development I this funding, we must also focus our ty, students, and staff for your generosity.