Utah Center For Architecture

11/08/2021

How about this! Architecture for space! As humans continue to leave the confines of earth, potentially for space or other terrestrial habitats, architecture that can be built in those environments will become important.

A capsule that is engineered entirely for the purpose of being lifted off the ground and keeping the environment in is good for surviving in the short term. Architecture and good design will be needed if we ever intend to move beyond surviving to living and thriving.

Studying space exploration is a side hobby of mine so this extreme-weather resistant origami moon habitat is one of my dream homes. SAGA is a Danish...

10/27/2021

Last call everyone! Tomorrow is the closing reception. We hope to see you there!

Click here to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/181947699467

10/25/2021

Here is a bit about one of our panelists, Megan Shiotani, PLA, ASLA! We're so excited to hear her speak at our closing reception.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/building-transitions-of-the-future-closing-reception-tickets-181947699467?aff=ebdssbeac

Megan Jones Shiotani, PLA, ASLA

Megan is a landscape architect at Wenk Associates in Denver, Colorado with over ten years of experience shaping public spaces. Megan is a Salt Lake City native who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Landscape Architecture from Harvard University. She specializes in complex, cross-disciplinary, multi-phased design visioning and has led public and privately-led park, plaza and urban design projects throughout Colorado, in Utah and Michigan. Wenk Associates’ practice is deeply rooted in green infrastructure planning and riverfront placemaking, so Megan’s focus is largely shared between urban infill, adaptive re-use and public waterfront and park planning and design.
Megan is a licensed landscape architect in Colorado and Utah.


Recent/current projects include:

Civic Center Park ‘Next 100’ Concept Design (Denver Colorado) | the Post District (Salt Lake City, Utah) | INDUSTRY SLC (Salt Lake City, Utah) |Grand River Corridor ‘River for All’ Urban Parks and Trails Plans (Grand Rapids, Michigan) | Clear Creek Corridor Visioning Plans (Denver Metro Area, Colorado)

10/21/2021

We have enjoyed celebrating Archtober with all of you this month, but like all good things, it must come to an end.

Please join us for our closing reception, a virtual presentation by Mojdeh Azani, recipient of the 2020 Elizabeth Mitchell Travel Grant, as well as a panel discussion over the topic "Building Transitions of the Future."

Mojdeh will be joined by panelists Megan Jones Shiotani PLA, ASLA, Senior Associate at Wenk Associates - Landscape Architecture & Planning, and Chris Parker, CEO of Giv Givgroup.

Signup here to register for free! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/building-transitions-of-the-future-closing-reception-tickets-181947699467

10/15/2021

Living in cities and urban areas, some artificial light at night is unavoidable. Here are some simple steps you can take to reduce light pollution.

 Light pollution harms ecosystems and humans just as much as other forms of pollution. Blue lights have harsher glare and are harmful to human health, so lights should use warmer orange and yellow colors. Without darkness at night, our bodies don’t produce melatonin. Keeping lights dim improves sleep conditions and restfulness. Wildlife are also impacted by this disruption of the day/night cycle. Migratory birds get confused by the bright lights from cities, and nocturnal predators can’t hunt as well with artificial light during the night.

To reduce light pollution in your home, think about what light you use. Are your lamps shining into windows rather than over streets? Light trespass is when lights illuminate areas they aren’t needed. Use shielded and downfacing lamps to keep the light on the streets. Unshielded lights cause skyglow, where the night sky is brighter than normal. How often do you need your lights on at night? Setting timers and motion sensors allows light sources to turn on at times they are needed. Using light only when and where necessary also saves on energy, as does switching to LEDs and CFLs. We want to light the streets, not the skies!

10/14/2021

When was the last time you looked up at the stars? Utah is known for its breathtaking landscapes, including the night sky. We have the most certified dark sky places in the world. Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Dinosaur National Monument, and Dead Horse Point State Park are only a few of the areas in Utah where people have the clearest view of the sky.

Check out https://www.discovermoab.com/moab-night-skies/ for some cool photos and locations where you can observe the night sky in Moab!

10/11/2021

Welcome to UCFA’s Archtober virtual Dark Sky event, in partnership with University of Utah’s Dark Sky Minor program (part of City and Metropolitan planning)! We kick off this special week by bringing you a video compilation of inspiring artwork, poetry complete with music. Take some time to feel into each of these profound moments shared by students in the Dark Sky Class – Lightscapes CMP3850 from 2019 to 2021. They are bound to bring up some of your own memories, we hope you enjoy it!

Coming up later this week are travel ideas for Astrotourism in Utah as well as things you can do to reduce light pollution, so stay tuned!

Welcome to UCFA’s Archtober virtual Dark Sky event, in partnership with University of Utah’s Dark Sky Minor program (part of City and Metropolitan planning)!...

10/08/2021

Having a great time celebrating Archtober on the walking tour of South Temple with CityHomeCOLLECTIVE | Salt Lake Living. Some fanatic examples of our cities history!

09/18/2021

We have exciting news! The postponed Architecture Week has been reimagined as Archtoboer 2021! We will be hosting a combination of COVID-safe, outdoor in-person and virtual events throughout the month of October.

Keep checking https://utahcfa.org/our-programs/events-and-tours/ for event details and ticketing information.

A special thanks to our event sponsors CityHomeCOLLECTIVE | Salt Lake Living and AIA Utah (American Institute of Architects).
Artwork by Matt Monsoon.

09/09/2021

Calling all architects! We hope to see you (virtually or in person) for this great event!

Announcing the hybrid 2021 AIA Utah Annual Conference, held August 20th-24th with digital and in-person events at AIA Utah and Okland Construction in Salt Lake City.