Stadiums, recreation centers, and venues can be more than functional—they can be unforgettable.

Healthcare environments should be spaces for professionals and patients to thrive. See how we're actively advancing healthcare evolutions.

We are forever charting innovative solutions for warehousing and product distribution. Explore some of VCBO's versatile industrial architecture.

City and government buildings designed with their distinct location and community in mind.

From standout facilities to campus planning, explore our robust portfolio of Higher Ed architecture and design.

Whether it's offices or retail outlets, we are committed to sleek and functional commercial design.

VCBO has an impressive history of religious projects with reverence and contemplation woven into their design.

Immersive educational spaces with a passionate awareness of diverse student needs.

The Wilmington Gardens project is a 278,323 square foot mixed-use project in the Sugar House neighborhood of Salt Lake City that consists of 105 market-rate apartments, 7 luxury townhomes, 70,420 square feet of retail, bar, restaurant and office space, a large centrally located outdoor plaza that will feature a seasonal community garden and a 157 stall underground parking garage. It brought together a diverse group of stakeholders with a vested interest in developing and designing an urban garden destination in the heart of the funky Sugar House business community.

This small parcel is nestled among an interesting mix of unique businesses, urban condominium dwellers, and satellite Westminster College teaching and living spaces, all abutting a protected riparian stream corridor called Hidden Hollow. The challenge and goal of the Salt Lake Redevelopment Agency for this little piece of land was to protect and enhance the riparian corridor, energize and drive the unique small business sector of the Sugar House community, create a public plaza gathering venue suitable for concerts, farmer’s markets, other community uses and provide affordable housing units in a community that is lacking in that regard. The plaza is a central connector that encourages foot traffic to public transportation, the nearby Sugar House Park, local businesses, Hidden Hollow, and the Westminster College campus auxiliary spaces.VCBO Architecture coordinated with the Woodbury and Colmena Group, Dee’s, Inc., Westminster College, the University of Utah’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research, local Sugar House community activists, and the transportation planning firm of Fehr & Peers for the design of the Wilmington Gardens project.

Paperbox Lofts (PBL) is a six-story, 195-unit multi-family complex located in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. PBL was developed in conjunction with the Salt Lake City Redevelopment Association with a focus on pedestrian connections and amenities including a mid-block public thoroughfare. There is a mix of live / work units on the ground level, along with retail and community spaces. The exterior of PBL is unique among current multi-family projects going on in the city; a great deal of attention has been paid to how the façade interacts with the street, creating unique opportunities for distinctive units in those areas. There is a mix of studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartment units located throughout the project. Building C provides unparalleled premium units that occupy the entire floor plate and come complete with an elevator that opens directly into the unit.

There are abundant exterior spaces to be enjoyed by the residents, including a rooftop sunset deck overlooking the Oquirrh mountain range and an elevated lounge connected to a see-and-be-seen amenity deck with views to the Wasatch. There is also an on-site fitness center and a large clubhouse with a common kitchen.

Paperbox Lofts will also feature Salt Lake City’s first freestanding and largest automated vehicle parking system. The level vehicle high system is fully automated and can allow parking of 102 vehicles in the space of 18 stalls.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Baton Rouge Temple was originally built in 2000. Demolition will consist of removing all MEP systems, interior framed walls, exterior wall, and roof finishes down to the framing, lighting, and plumbing fixtures, part of the mezzanine structure, tower structure down to footings, and the baptismal font and oxen. Only exterior and interior structural bearing walls and roof framing will be retained. Structural members will be replaced or repaired as necessary.

The renovated temple will result in a single-story 10,890 square foot wood and steel framed structure. A comprehensive precedent study was performed to realign the exterior and interior with the historic and classical architecture found in the southeast United States. The exterior has been redesigned to improve the overall massing, entry, and tower of the temple. As a result, the existing portico has been enclosed for a minimal addition to the building of 490 square feet. The tower’s steeple will be raised 10 feet from the existing height to better correspond to the revised entry. The new design will provide a high-performance envelope with an exterior clad in beige-colored limestone and new art glass window systems. The complete interior has been reconfigured to meet accessibility requirements, improve the overall functionality of ritual and support spaces, and increase the spatial volume of key areas of the temple. A new cast-in-place baptismal font, oxen, and complete interior finish package (e.g., furniture, fabrics, artwork, fixtures, decorative lighting, etc.) are included in this renovation. Both the exterior and interior design incorporates local architectural, cultural, and floral motifs to give the temple a distinct aesthetic tied to its geographic location and place. New MEP systems will be installed as part of the renovation with the air handler being placed at the base of the tower. Site improvements and new landscaping are also included in the project scope. Sidewalks, irrigation, fencing, site walls, and landscape around the building will be replaced as necessary during construction – replacing like for like. Site lighting for the sidewalks, stairs, and ramp around the building proper will also be added to address owner safety and security concerns. Parking lot lighting for the stalls around the immediate perimeter of the building will be replaced with new fixtures. A mechanical enclosure clad in manufactured stone, similar to the limestone, will be added to the site to screen a chiller and generator.

dōTERRA is a company founded in 2008 that sources essential oil products from all over the world and uses those oils to improve the lives of their customers. Located in Pleasant Grove, Utah, Phases I and II have been recently completed and include 260,000 square feet enclosed in six separate, interconnected structures varying from one to four stories. These structures are tied together with a curved circulation spine and a shared four-story atrium.

The project’s 20-acre site enhances and engages the natural environment, which is commensurate with dōTERRA’s founding principle of the restorative properties of nature. An existing sinkhole was improved with water features, recirculating ponds, and native plantings, and is now classified as a wetlands area available for use by all local residents. The site design features hundreds of linear feet of a dry stack sandstone wall that was locally sourced from Brown’s Canyon near Kamas, Utah. This “plinth wall” separates the pedestrian spaces, which have more formal landscaping than the trails and paths of the wetlands, and also allowed the design team to raise the elevation of the buildings, mitigating the shallow water table and allowing for a sloped auditorium. Water features and plazas are incorporated into the site design between each of the buildings to allow visual connections between the building occupants and the beauty of nature. Additionally, the building is oriented to maximize access to daylight and views of the surrounding mountain vistas, of which the primary focal point is Mt. Timpanogos.

With a high water table and most of the site being in marshy wetlands, a grid work of over 500 aggregate piers was used to improve the soils under each of the structural footings. These piers are 20” in diameter and extend to a depth of 22 feet.

Utah Valley University Engineering Programming

Updated with a few small mechanical fixes: The Salt Lake City Main Public Library features a triangular main building, an adjacent administration building, a glass-enclosed Urban Room, and an exterior public piazza. A curving, climbable wall weaves the site together and contains shops and food establishments as well as steps that ascend to a rooftop garden. The glass-enclosed Urban Room and piazza flow together, uniting interior and exterior spaces. The Urban Room is a space for all seasons, generously endowed with daylight, open to significant views and, since it extends the full height of the building, a pivotal point of visual orientation. Multi-level reading areas along the transparent southern façade of the building look out onto the piazza, the city, and the Wasatch Mountains beyond. At night the glass façade, lit from within, appears in the crescent-shaped reflecting pool, extending into the outdoor space.

Flexible Design for Functional Learning Environments 

The new Viewpoint Middle School, located in the fast-growing community of Lehi, has been designed based on the middle school prototype for Alpine School District. The school represents the latest in educational thinking and design, facilitating collaboration, teaming, and an interdisciplinary curriculum centered on piquing students' interest in the educational process.

The floor plan is divided by a main central corridor. This "Main Street" divides the plan into five smaller learning environments or "academies". Three of the academies contain core classes, and the fourth & fifth houses include Family & Consumer Science, Business, Technology, and Visual Arts programs. This school within a school concept will help to divide the 1,500-student population into smaller, more intimate learning families.

Courtyards, Lounges, and Learning Spaces 

This 3-story mixed-use facility contains several Health Sciences departments including Administration, Nursing, Medical Radiology, Respiratory Therapy, Dental Sciences, Surgical Technology, and Physical Therapy, Academic shared space, a 150-person lecture hall, a 65-person lecture hall, student lounges, and a small cafe. The entry lobby offers spectacular views while the attached communicating stair links all levels of the facility together vertically. The integration of usable outdoor space into the facility was critical. A winter/entry courtyard to the sunny south and a summer courtyard on the shaded north have been implemented into the design to offer more of a variety of student gathering spaces within the site. Alternate: The Taylor Health Science Building is a 3-story, mixed-use facility that includes nursing, medical radiology, respiratory therapy, dental sciences, surgical technology, physical therapy, academic shared space, a 150-person lecture hall, and student lounges. An entry courtyard to the sunny south and a second courtyard on the shaded north have been implemented into the design to offer more of a variety of student gathering spaces.

Ivins City, first incorporated in 1935, was the result of bringing water to the Santa Clara Bench. This engineering feat which began construction in 1911, allowed eleven young farming families to settle on the bench during the early 1920s. From these humble beginnings, Ivins is now a quickly growing city with approximately 9,000 people calling Ivins home. The new City Hall endeavors to capture a portion of the city’s history by incorporating what has become a unifying project element; a rammed earth wall. This wall for the city symbolizes their origins which Mayor Hart summarizes as EARTH, WATER, and HARD WORK. The 12,000 SF facility provides not only much-needed space, amenities, resilience, and accessibility to the community but also reflects the city’s strong commitment to the environment. The City Hall has been designed and constructed to be tight and efficient. Utilizing passive solar shading, ground-loop heat exchangers, and on-site solar parking canopies, the building is slated to achieve the city's goal of "Net-Zero" energy.

Central Elementary is a two-story K-6 elementary school built to replace the existing elementary and associated space center program in the foothills of Pleasant Grove, Utah. The 86,000-square-foot plan was designed using the Alpine School District two-story prototype and uniquely adapted to also include the historical Christa McAuliffe Space Center program. Since 1990 the Space Center has been inspiring and influencing the lives of thousands of children, teenagers, and adults in Utah and beyond. The simulators create an immersive environment where students can envision themselves in roles involving leadership, engineering, science, and more while encountering curriculum-based challenges. All while having an unforgettable and exciting time.

The school portion of the building totals 74,300 square feet accommodating 780 students. The compact two-story design for Central Elementary allowed the school to be built on the current site, allowing construction to take place for the new school while the existing school remained in full use. The separate 11,700-square-foot space center is designed to function year-round receiving field trips from local schools plus private groups and functions. The space center includes a 40-foot planetarium on the upper level with raised stadium theater seating for 70 spectators and a state-of-the-art digital projection system. On the lower level are six uniquely designed and finished mission simulators for groups ranging from six to fourteen participants providing an immersive experience and extending the imagination into space. Each simulator also includes an associated control room where employees and volunteers direct the unique missions. The building’s exterior finishes of brick masonry, tilt-up concrete, metal panel accents, and aluminum storefront glazing were selected to provide a high-tech space center feel while also complimenting the surrounding community. At the interior of the school, a combination of honed CMU and ceramic tile walls were selected for hallways and smooth blocks at the gymnasium and other high-use areas, for their durability and the overall structural integrity of the school. Space center finishes were also selected for durability while also providing a completely captivating experience.

As this adapted prototype is built into the sloping topography, the public and visitors enter the school and space center on the upper level, while the playgrounds are accessed from the back of the school at the lower level. The classrooms are oriented to take advantage of natural light.

The Provo Fourth Judicial District Courthouse consolidates many of the judicial district’s existing entities under the roof of one facility. The building houses the district’s Juvenile and District court as well as many of the court’s support programs, such as the Guardian Ad Litem, Juvenile Probation, and Mediation Services. The building contains sixteen courtrooms over its eight floors with the possibility of expanding to a maximum build-out of twenty. Taking an entire city block, the courthouse has been positioned on its site to help define the urban context of downtown Provo and to allow for future growth and expansion. This new building helps support the goals of the Utah State Court by providing enhanced accessibility and security to the citizens and employees of the fourth district.

Visitors to the building will encounter a dignified building that conveys quality and the permanence and stature of the court. Clear circulation and the integration of daylighting were important goals of the design team. The building’s massing has allowed for daylight to reach a majority of the courtrooms through floor-to-ceiling windows which also take advantage of the region’s spectacular mountain views. The building’s staff benefit from a safer inmate circulation path, secure parking, acoustic separation of spaces, a fitness center, and the latest in-court technology which has been carefully integrated into the building by the design team. The Fourth Judicial Courthouse stands as an example of the importance we as a society place on justice. It is a facility that has been meticulously designed and constructed to serve its community for many decades to come.

Orchids Motifs, Lattice, and Local Emphasis 

The Tegucigalpa, Honduras Temple was dedicated on March 17, 2013, and was the first temple built in Honduras. The design was influenced by Meso – American and Mayan Architectural and pafferus, with its heavy stone mass features and shapes.

Motifs used in the exterior and interior design include a lattice pattern as expressed in the large window grill and are also found in carved details on the furniture and decorative lighting. Another motif was an orchid (Rhyncholaelia digbyana), which is the national flower of Honduras.

Utah Tech Science, Engineering, and Technology Building

The Science, Engineering & Technology (SET) Building at Utah Tech University is home to labs and classroom spaces including Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geo Sciences, Mechanical Engineering, Technology, and Computer labs as well as faculty offices and other support spaces. This project also includes the demotion of the existing Performing Arts Building and the demolition and repaving of the existing Whitehead Education Building.

The West Village Student Housing project will provide family and graduate student housing at the University of Utah on an 11.8-acre site. The project will deliver 298 family apartments, 1, 2, and 3-bedroom units, totaling approximately 295,000 SF, and 256 graduate student apartments, studio, 1, 2, and 3-bedroom units, totaling approximately 147,000 SF. The project will also provide community amenities, including shared kitchens, vending, laundry, storage, study, etc., gathering space (indoor and outdoor), and surface parking. The project is anticipated to be completed by July 1, 2023.

The project features upturned beam concrete beams with an architectural steel rail system to function as vehicle barriers and guardrails. The interior seismic system concrete shear walls were constructed with openings that create greater visibility and security. The exterior concrete shear walls have been designed to have landscaping vines cover the walls. These plantings will create a warmer nicer aesthetic feel to the structure.

Since it was necessary to construct the Old Mill 4 Parking Structure project in phases in order to provide ongoing parking for the Old Mill Corporate Center occupants for the two-year project duration, and on a tight site, planning the phasing intelligently was a key factor. In order to maximize openness (and minimize any “closed-in” impression), upturned concrete beams were used in the design, allowing more open sight lines, and bigger and better views, with no sacrifice to the structural integrity or to safety.

Another aesthetic detail that ensures the visual lines of the Old Mill 4 Parking Structure are clean as possible is the inclusion of sleeved concrete beams for routing utility, mechanical, and water lines discreetly out of site Wherever possible, openings in the attractive architectural concrete shear walls were placed to provide visual interest along with security. These openings help to provide visual connections and interest in the structure’s interior walls.

Facilities Master Planning for Maximum Effect

The Westminster Master Plan presents a vision for the College and outlines goals to achieve this vision. The plan strives to help the College respond to the changing shape of learning and expectations of students, it promotes mission-driven public-private partnerships and encourages community connections. This master plan looks toward an urban campus that accommodates growth while positioning the College for a sustainable future through financial, educational, and environmental responsibility. This plan emphasizes the need for flexibility; in our buildings, learning spaces, and in the plan itself. Rather than creating a prescriptive list of buildings to locate on a contiguous campus footprint, this strategy can respond and adapt to changing circumstances and opportunities. This plan is innovative and forward-thinking; much like Westminster College. This is a twenty-year plan, and will have been fully implemented in 2031.

Innovative Classroom Design and Educational Infrastructure

USU Regional Campus Distance Education Building

Utah State University Regional Campus Distance Education Building

This four-story facility is the headquarters building for the Utah State University Regional Campus Distance Education Network. It includes several send/receive classrooms that facilitate the production of learning content that is distributed to USU’s statewide campuses. The building also houses the Utah Education Network which provides the infrastructure/network to communicate over the airwaves with the Regional Campus locations.

Architecture for Student-Focused Learning Environments

University of Utah Quinney College of Law

The S.J. Quinney College of Law is a distinctive building that expresses the dynamic programs, student-centric approach to learning, commitment to public service and focus on environmental stewardship. The VCBO | SmithGroupJJR team was engaged in 2009 to complete the pre-programming process. Following this early study's success, the team continued into programming and designing for the new facility.

The interior spaces include ample collaborative student study spaces, flexible centers to enable and promote innovative legal research and integrated study opportunities, as well as generous community and event spaces to facilitate the thousands of community-oriented events held by the college each year. Access to technology, a student study area with a kid's playroom, and proximity of students to faculty all aid in improving engagement and interaction for all building users. The site and building were designed for equal experiences for all visitors, regardless of abilities. The public-facing library is located on the first floor, most accessible to the regional transit systems. The elevators open on both sides to minimize disruption for those with limited mobility and the accessibility garden provides a comfortable path to travel east-west and access the heart of campus. The college is also optimally located at the southwest of the University of Utah, a key gateway to the campus and a welcoming plaza for building and campus visitors.

A LEED Platinum building, the law school integrates one of the first greywater reuse systems, titanium dioxide-infused concrete, and glass designed to reduce bird impacts. The S.J. Quinney College of Law is a sustainable beacon for the University and the broader community. It is a striking home for the college and a robust addition to both the University of Utah and the State of Utah.

Through a series of workshops, a consensus vision for how Dixie State College will grow to service the community was generated. This collaborative, inclusive process that included stakeholders from the College (students, faculty, staff, and administration), Washington County, surrounding city representatives, neighbors, local business representatives, and other interested parties, and generated relevant topics that were addressed in the process and study. The discussions fostered an atmosphere of cooperation and respect which led to a collegial working relationship in which many issues were raised and resolved. The first workshop consisted of an intensive three-day session wherein the Design Team listened to and queried campus stakeholders from every department, as well as a separate session with community leaders. Participants voiced their goals, complaints, and aspirations for what Dixie State College is and what it could become. From this, the Design Team generated some alternative approaches to the impending growth. With area comparisons from peer institutions and Washington County projections, the magnitude of anticipated growth of the College was established with the required areas to accommodate that growth. The second workshop included two days of discussions centered around development strategies to accommodate campus growth, transit options, community partnerships, opportunity zones of possible growth, and student life concerns. The outcome of this second workshop was a consensus-based decision encouraging greater densities on the campus. Teamed with Sasaki.

Versatile Design for Versatile Healthcare Needs

This stand-alone facility located in southwestern Utah brings together into one building services from a number of different locations in St. George. It is designed using Lean principles and an on-stage/off-stage delivery system. It houses a variety of specialties including a full-service Imaging Suite, Physical Therapy, and Med Spa. Careful attention was paid in the design phase to eliminate waste and select economical materials appropriate to the harsh summer heat while providing a new image of healthcare to the region.

Bodies in Motion, Architecture in Action 

Odyssey Elementary School was the first in a series of elementary schools for the Davis School District.

The school is two (2) stories, organized around a central Commons/Dining area, with the classroom areas organized into two multi-story wings. Each wing houses an integrated collaboration space that supports a project-based curriculum. One of the primary goals during the design of the school was to provide an integrated theme, in this case, Bodies in Motion. The exterior of the building has undulating metal panels that evoke motion and reference the scales of a fish.

The University’s Jeffrey R. Holland Centennial Commons is symbolic of a new breed of mixed-use campus buildings that combines a holistic model for teaching and learning design to accommodate student life and recreation-oriented programs along with academic programs while optimizing resource and space utilization. The building combines the traditional resources of a classroom building with those of a library, together with discipline-related offices, resource centers, informal meeting areas, and recreation and food service spaces typical of other student centers. The Centennial Commons building provides a representative cross-section of campus life-connecting these parts under one roof. The project includes approximately 170,000 square feet and was constructed for $38 million. A vibrant art installation made up of 13,000 books is the focal point of the commons.

Westminster Health Wellness and Athletic Center

The Westminster Health, Wellness & Athletic Center integrates health and well-being into the heart of the college through an imaginatively conceived central campus recreation center where healthy activities are celebrated by (and accessible to) students and faculty alike. From swimming to soccer, from running to aerobics, and from weight training to climbing, this facility supports student recreation activities alongside the athletic spaces required for varsity student-athletes. Functional adaptations of historically derived architectural elements help capture and modulate daylight and contribute to seamless building integration within its historic campus context.

In addition, the design maximized the different heights of the gymnasium, pool, and locker rooms to provide space for the School of Nursing for two-thirds of the cost of a standalone building. The Nursing School fosters a clear sense of being in the middle of the activity, because the climbing wall penetrates their floor, letting nursing students watch climbers from their lounge area. To complete the optimization of scarce space on this urban campus, an International size soccer field was elevated above a parking garage, furnishing 370 parking stalls and effectively hiding cars from the abutting residential neighborhood while doubling the amount of usable space on the site.

University of Utah Business Loop Parking Structure

University of Utah Medical Education and Discovery Building

New construction of a maximum building size of 327,300 gross square feet at a total construction cost of $134,000,000.00. The MEDX Building will include a gross anatomy lab that will support up to 150 students, a body donor program including cadaver storage, high fidelity, flexible simulation facilities to support task trainers, mannequins, specialized environments such as Operating Rooms, virtual reality, 3-D printing, gaming, and applications development to support simulation and training, conference facilities, problem-based learning classrooms with state of the art technology, new office solutions to support an increasingly mobile workforce, food service to support and serve as a magnet on the core campus, lobby/exhibition space, medical student study and support area, School of Medicine Dean's office functions and green/gathering space at the exterior of the building. Additional Services: Simulation/Lab Planning, AV System, AV Antenna, Seismic Design for Non-Structural Electrical and Mechanical Components, Acoustical Engineering, Security Systems, LEED Silver, Food Services, and Pre-Program Scope Addition.

Butterfly Roofs, Solar Panels, Beautiful Canopies 

Farmington Bus Canopies & Maintenance Facility

The Farmington Solar Bus Canopies are part of the Farmington High School Campus. The unique butterfly roofs create an optimal angle for the solar panels and allow drainage away from the roof edges. The solar generation on-site helps to offset the electrical use of the high school. Careful consideration was given to the orientation of the buses because of the high winds from Farmington Canyon. To decrease the overall cost of this project the canopy’s galvanized roof does not have a roof membrane shingled to the drain.

Farmington High School is a unique and innovative comprehensive high school as a result of a hands-on collaborative planning process involving Davis School District administrators, staff, faculty, students, and VCBO Architecture. Utilizing a series of interactive meetings with the stakeholders, key design ideas including different size classrooms, flexible learning spaces, and learning suites with teacher offices were developed. In conjunction with this input, VCBO Architecture conducted a detailed study of class sizes of four DSD high schools which provided integral data that acted as a driver in the change of the high school design model that the District had been using. The design of the new high school uses fact-based assumptions for class size, accommodates project- and problem-based learning, and continues the model of collaborative learning that Davis School District has been a leader in propagating for the past 20 years.

One very critical aspect of the concept is to treat teachers as professionals. Providing classroom spaces that are varied in size and completely flexible allows instructors to utilize the right space for the right learning experience for students. Additionally, every instructor has a private office to use during prep periods and before and after class time. This allows the school to significantly increase the utilization of learning spaces, key to meeting the district construction budget and student load requirements.

VCBO Architecture is providing design and construction administration services for a student activity center addition to the Stromberg Athletic Complex at Weber State University. The University has grown fast and needs recreation spaces that can accommodate demand and provide comparable facilities to other Universities. The fresh approach to the remodeled Stromberg student activity and athletic center pays close attention to the University's brand as a part of the design. The project includes student exercise spaces, locker rooms, administration offices, a suspended running track, and a pedestrian bridge to link the Stromberg Athletic Complex together with the new Student Activity Center. The new construction and retrofitted spaces comprise approximately 60,000 square feet with a budget of $9,200,000.00. The Weber State Wildcat Center for Health, Education, and Wellness is a 30,000 SF addition to the existing Stromberg Complex Health and Physical Education Center. This two-story addition houses the Campus Recreation program and student recreation spaces (two fitness studios, an open fitness space, and locker rooms). The project also includes a pedestrian bridge linking the existing Stromberg and Swenson Complex, as well as a suspended running track inside the Stromberg Arena.

Innovative Architecture for Innovative Education 

Deseret Peak High School is the second school in the state designed with the flexibility required to support future learning models. This design was a result of a hands-on collaborative planning process with involvement from Tooele County School District administrators, staff, faculty, students, and the VCBO architectural team. Utilizing a series of interactive workshops with the stakeholders, key design ideas including different size classrooms, flexible learning spaces, collaborative learning suites with maker space labs, and teacher office suites were developed.

With a focus on increased efficiency and overall project costs, the Tooele County School Board challenged VCBO to hit a utilization factor of 95% in the new high school prototype. VCBO achieved this goal by moving teachers from their classrooms and into teacher office suites designed to provide teachers with all of the amenities necessary for their continued success. Another key aspect to achieving this goal was to create three learning studio types of varying sizes. Another key design element was the safety of students and staff. Each compartmentalized learning suite is created to optimize daylight, transparency, and safety. The resultant design of the new high school is safe, energy-efficient, supportive of current and future learning models, and continues the goals of the District to enhance collaborative learning.

This significant structure was designed to reflect and respect the context of downtown Salt Lake City with its stone and terra-cotta buildings, many from the turn of the century. The building exterior is detailed in granite, with the window bay structures and enlarged circular window dormers capping the top of the building. VCBO Architecture provided the design and construction administration for this 24-story, 435,000 square foot high high-rise office tower, a 1,000-car parking structure and ramp, and the plaza deck for the civic plaza. The firm also provided further planning for hotel and high-rise office tower projects to complete the Block development. The design includes a high-level security system for public parking and the office tower, interior design of lobby and conference centers, and space planning for office floors.

Visibility. Views. Versatile Simplicity. 

Mountain Creek Middle School is a new middle school in Jordan School District located at 5225 W. Bingham Rim Road in South Jordan, Utah. The new school is approximately 175,000 sq. ft. load-bearing masonry construction two-story building. The middle school has a gymnasium, cafeteria, auditorium, library, classrooms, and administration spaces. The new school sits on a 23-acre site that has parking lots and soccer fields.

Mountain Creek Middle School was developed as a more compact middle school in response to Jordan School District’s promise to taxpayers to reduce building costs by 17%. The design team took this as a challenge to maintain the same number of learning spaces, but reduce the cost in ways that would not be readily apparent. By optimizing building systems and eliminating redundant spaces the design team was able to create an inspiring school that will be a showpiece for the Daybreak area for decades to come.

There are four academic wings that are organized along a central spine. Supervision and wayfinding is made easy through design that maximizes visibility and simplicity of navigation. The main student commons area has a central stair that can double as a platform for announcements and student activities. There is an open adaptable library space that can facilitate large meetings, student breakout, and testing needs.

The school's main entrance has a cantilevered bright metal panel that surrounds a large expanse of glass that allows views into and out of the library space. The gym and auditorium areas of the middle school anchor the two ends with an iconic dissolving masonry pattern that creates a unique identity to those elements and aids in creating visual interest in all elevations of the building for the surrounding community. A secondary lobby space at the auditorium will aid in facilitating events in the 850-seat auditorium.

Versatile Spaces for Versatile Learning Needs 

The Nebo Peak Center is a new multi-use facility comprised of a cutting-edge Career & Technical Education Center, a central District warehouse, and an indoor practice facility. The new center is housed in a renovated warehouse in downtown Salem, Utah. VCBO was hired to renovate the existing 212,000sf warehouse that used to serve as the New Ways warehouse for over two decades.

The 49,606sf CTE space is dedicated to college prep subjects like robotics, pre-engineering, IT, gaming design, video production, forensics, manufacturing, and environmental technologies. The facility is an open design with large glass overhead doors connecting each classroom/lab area with a central break-out space. The central gathering areas also house robotics challenges and other science fair gatherings.

The 50,312sf refurbished warehouse handles the District's primary warehousing, as well as cold storage functions. A 10,000sf freezer facility and a 2,000 SF cooler facility have been provided, as well as push-back & flow-rail style double deep racking systems. The lighting systems have all been upgraded to LED, and the mechanical system is entirely new. 

The new 60,219sf indoor practice facility has accommodations for a full-sized baseball infield practice area, a full-sized soccer penalty zone practice area, and a full-sized football red-zone practice area. Additionally, a dedicated shot put/discus area has been provided as well as a golf zone, and 8 batting/pitching cages. The lighting has all been upgraded to LED, and the mechanical system is new throughout.

Design with Devotion and Local Immersion 

Characterized by its highly ornamented Mayan-inspired exterior, the Mexico City Mexico Temple is an acclaimed landmark in northeastern Mexico City, located near Bosque de Aragón—one of the city’s principal parks.

In 1983, Mexico City Temple was the first temple built in Mexico and is the 26th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. VCBO was hired as the architect for three phased projects from the years of 2006 to 2015 to replace the exterior concrete panels, remodel the temple interior and upgrade all utility systems of the project. The Mayan-inspired detailing from the exterior was incorporated more into the interior design of the building and the spaces were completely re-imagined and refreshed to provide church members with a more functional and modernized temple worship experience. The temple will continue to serve approximately 264,000 members for many years to come. 

Salt Lake City School District Bus Canopy

This project consists of building a new bus and fuel station for the Salt Lake City School District. The new station will be constructed at the site of the existing station and will involve demolishing the former, constructing 3 rows of bus canopies equipped with solar panels/chargers, and a fuel station with a new above-ground fuel tank.

Dumke IPE Building Physicians Assistant Space

This project consists of a remodel of an existing building to add a Physician's Assistant Program to the campus of Weber State University. The remodel includes the creation of debriefing spaces, a patient simulation room, a control room, exam rooms, classroom spaces, additional office space, and revisions to the existing student lounge space to provide food and study accommodations.

Connective Communal Spaces for People to Thrive

The Zephyr is an eight-story multi-family project in downtown Salt Lake City, sitting in the historic warehouse district on the old rail yards for the city. It was named after the historic Zephyr train that served Salt Lake City along its route to San Francisco from Chicago and houses 137 units, mixed between studios, and one- and two-bedrooms.

This building is a prime urban residence, locating functions at the ground level that will activate street engagement, creating a more interactive environment for all city residents and visitors. There is a tenant fitness area right on the street along with a small neighborhood bar with outdoor seating and windows that bring the city environment inside. On upper levels, there is a yoga/meditation studio, and ample leasable storage opportunities, including a ski locker room for all your winter-time gear. 

The outdoor amenities are especially exceptional at the Zephyr. There is a courtyard with discrete lounge areas and space for a band to play on special occasions, accompanied by fire pits and lighting to create a relaxing atmosphere. There is a year-round spa that will be cool in the summer and warm in the winter, with Jacuzzi jets and a swim-current jet at the end that will allow swimming or surf paddling.

What really makes this project unique is the two upper-level bridges. There is a lounge bridge with seating and fire pits located on Level 5 and then a larger bridge on Level 8 that connects to the clubhouse. This bridge will feature eating areas, gas grilles, and movable furniture that will accommodate larger gatherings including rooftop sunrise yoga. These bridges are the main feature of the façade, completing the volume of the building along its frontage. They are billboards for the project, highlighting the greenery and vibrancy of the spaces that they house. It is a bold gesture to showcase the uniqueness of this design.

Architecture for Next-Level Athleticism  

Being the first of its kind, Ogden School District wanted to make a bold statement with this Athletic Center, not only in its architecture but also in its unique functionality and energy efficiency. The District hired VCBO Architecture and Hughes General Contractors to lead the effort in bringing that bold statement to life. The vision for this stand-alone athletic center was to break the mold of the traditional, boxy, cave-like, artificially lit, high school gymnasium complex by creating a fusion between an indoor practice facility for outdoor sports, with a highly transparent, visually engaging, and energy-efficient gymnasium complex, that accommodates all student athletic groups. The new Ben Lomond High School Athletic Center has proven to be a resounding success! The VCBO Architecture, Hughes General Contractors, and Ogden School District team have delivered a highly efficient, extremely functional, and absolutely beautiful building that has proven to be a truly dramatic statement of their combined commitment to the students of Ben Lomond High School now and well into the future. GO SCOTS!

This 23,000 SF football support facility will act as the prominent patron entry gateway at the north end of the Stewart Stadium on WSU’s Ogden Campus. This support facility will be known as Sark’s Boys Gateway (a reference to the WSU teams of the late 1960s that were coached by Sark Arslanian). The facility will include a home team locker room, suites, team meeting rooms, training and equipment facilities, a weight room addition, expanded restrooms, and ticketing/concession areas.

This new 80,000 square foot, state-of-the-art headquarters for the Jacobsen Construction Company set on the edge of a lake, allows this legendary Utah builder to showcase their craft. The facility uses primarily elemental materials including carefully-placed concrete, steel, and wood. 

The building is organized around a collaborative, central hub that includes the lobby, café, boardroom, and huddle spaces where much of the planning of their work happens. From this central area, the company’s departments gather and are structured whereby everyone in the company has a view of the lake, or mountain views.

The Wasatch County School District Aquatic Center was designed to serve both the district and the Heber City community with this multi-functional indoor aquatic facility. A 25-yard by 25-meter competition/lap pool was designed to serve the needs of not only the Wasatch High School swim teams, but to accommodate water polo activities and include an inflatable “wibit” obstacle course. Seating for up to 600 spectators makes it a prominent state competition venue.

Additionally, a multi-use recreation pool offering three additional lap lanes along with a zero entry area and toddler play feature makes it a popular Heber destination. To top off the features of this remarkable facility, a jet propulsion therapy pool supports recovery therapy and special needs development.

The Clyde Recreation Center is a full-service recreation center with amenities for all age groups and activity levels. amenities for enticing individuals desirous of a satisfying recreational experience each time they set foot within its doors. Through devoting exhaustive hours to this project, the VCBO Architecture design team ensured the development of an exciting program capable of engaging recreation enthusiasts throughout the growing Springville community and beyond. Upon discovering an innovative outdoor pool, patrons will also enjoy four different bodies of water — everything from a thrilling slide, high and low dives, a children’s splash pool (with themed play features), a lazy river (with a bubble couch), a lap/competition pool and an aerobics pool.

In addition to the comprehensive aquatics suite, the center also features multiple family change rooms (resulting from the community’s expressed desire for privacy), a full-sized gymnasium, a dance studio, a running track, multiple cardio areas and a dedicated space for childcare. These are all enhanced with natural daylighting as well as views of the breathtaking Wasatch Mountains and dramatic hillsides encompassing the remarkable Hobble Creek Canyon surroundings.

The Career & Technical Education Center also known as the "Catalyst Center" will be a new magnet school for Davis School District. This will be a prototype for the district, setting the stage for their CTE program to be designed in a separate facility allowing students to participate in a more specialized curriculum/environment from surrounding high schools.

The list of departments includes an audio and video center; an unmanned aircraft lab that will teach students how to operate a drone; a culinary center with a commercial kitchen along with a café that will be operated by students; a cyber and cyber security lab; medical lab; and pharmaceutical lab.  The project consists of remodeling an existing two-story office building (37,000 SF) currently owned by the school district.

This $35 million facility will reach outside the box of what other facilities are attempting, delivering an “over-the-top” recreation experience to patrons. Intensive workshops with community and recreation department stakeholders resulted in some ingenious design features such as a teen pool that offers a deep-water, wet climbing experience reminiscent of cliff jumping at Lake Powell in southern Utah. In addition to outdoor aquatics, the center will offer patrons five different indoor bodies of water: dynamic slide features, an aerobics pool, lap and competition swimming, a children’s splash pool with themed play features, and a lazy river.

The center also offers eighteen family change rooms in response to community demand for privacy, three gymnasiums, a MAC court, a senior/community center with craft and classrooms, a bouldering cave, and as much natural light and ventilation as possible. Maximizing the magnificent views of Mount Timpanogos and a well-planned, drought-tolerant landscape are key design elements. This center is also the largest community recreation center in Utah.

Westminster College Meldrum Science Center

Designed by VCBO Architecture, the state-of-the-art Westminster College Meldrum Science Center has earned the highest LEED certification rating of platinum. The $30-million facility features more than 53 environmentally-friendly features. From solar panels on the roof to unique water conservation features, the building offers abundant sustainable elements. Some of the top environmentally-friendly features include daylight sensors that automatically control the use of artificial lighting, building materials that are locally sourced and environmentally sound, flooring and exhibit boxes made of reclaimed wood, construction waste that was recycled up to 85 percent, and state-of-the-art zone ventilation and filtration systems.

The four-story, 65,000-square-foot, Meldrum Science Center includes 14 high-performance integrated labs/classrooms and five dedicated research labs, as well as open space for students and faculty from different disciplines to discuss new concepts and conduct research collaboratively. The building is designed to facilitate active, experiential, interdisciplinary, and collaborative learning through the use of open, flexible classroom spaces and research labs. The Meldrum Science Center is geared toward teaching students and faculty how to be good stewards of our natural resources and is a functioning example of "building as a learning tool" where form mirrors function.

High-End Sophistication Delivered With Precision 

The Old Mill Corporate Office Park in Cottonwood Heights offers high-end Class A commercial space. While the Phase IV building, designed by VCBO Architecture and currently in the last phases of construction meets the design criteria of Phases II and III, a new level of excellence will be reached. In addition to gorgeous finishes like the curved glass curtainwall and anodized aluminum, and an elegant and functional design, Phase IV is tracking to achieve LEED Gold certification. The seven-story office tower is connected to the parking structure on three levels by an enclosed walkway, and the surrounding hardscape and parking roof are pleasingly landscaped to create an organic transition from outside to in. Inside, walnut finishes, floor-to-ceiling glass walls, and Venetian plaster ceilings that offer a great light reflective quality, create a professional ambiance that is carried upward on each floor. Generous floor-to-ceiling heights add an airy and open feel to circulation spaces. Phase IV is designed for tenants who truly desire first-class corporate office environments.

Stadium Facilities that Make a Statement 

The South End Zone (SEZ) expansion at Rice-Eccles Stadium is scheduled for completion in 2021. The new addition will enclose the stadium and provide a continuous concourse around the stadium. The seating capacity of the SEZ is 6,049–taking the total stadium capacity above 51,000 seats. The SEZ offers premium amenities such as club space, a rooftop terrace, lodge boxes, ledge seating along with a conventional bench and seat-back seating. Both home team and visiting team locker facilities are housed within the facility.

Located in the rapidly growing community of Sun River, the Outdoor Living facility takes concrete tilt construction to a new level. The project will house up to seven different retail showroom storefronts. The design responds to the clean lines of classic desert Southwest vernacular, while elevating the standard tilt warehouse design typology. This project is a perfect example of looking at a warehouse through the lens of retail branding, community presence, and “out of the box” design.

Pioneering Architecture for the Next Generation of Pioneers

Weber State University Tracy Hall Science Center

As the most important academic building project in the University’s history, the new science building has given WSU a world-class science learning facility that will help educate Utah’s next generation of science professionals and other allied fields of study. Tracy Hall Science Center is 172,500 SF, housing the University’s science and math programs, including Botany, Chemistry, Geosciences, Microbiology, Physics, Zoology, and Mathematics.

Scientific Precision for Science Education

This facility will house the Biology Department at Utah State University, and serve the science learning community in correlation with the existing BNR Building, to the north. This new facility provides research and core teaching laboratories along with innovative classrooms, faculty offices, and graduate student workspaces. Anticipated to be a LEED Gold facility, this new building will provide efficient, comfortable, and innovative spaces for the students and campus community at Utah State University.

University of Utah Eccles Football Center

With its entry into the PAC 12 Conference, the University of Utah Football Program entered a new, highly competitive conference with enormous challenges. Since the scope and quality of the football facilities are highly influential in successful recruiting, the need for a new athletic facility became critical to the Football Program's success. The University requires facilities that are of equal quality to the other PAC 12 competitors. VCBO is designing an unprecedented athletic facility that integrates the University's football program brand into the very walls through the incorporation of imaginatively conceived, branded design elements. The new Football Center will feature locker rooms, state-of-the-art training/therapy facilities, strength and conditioning spaces, team instructional spaces, dining/kitchen facilities, staff offices, and an inspiring Hall of Honor that will infuse the Utes' spirit, history, and future into this innovative facility.

Wayne Estes Athletics Competition and Training Facility

The $9.7 million, 32,000 square-foot basketball practice facility and volleyball competition venue contains two regulation-size basketball courts and a regulation-size volleyball competition court with chair back seating for 1,400 fans, along with a training room and in-season strength and conditioning area. Office space for both men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball are also included in the new facility, as well as a locker room and film room for volleyball. Ticketing and concession services are also available on Game Days.

Architecture for Reverence and Awe to Thrive

The Temple was inspired by contemporary Italian design, yet based on classical Baroque Italian 16th Century architecture. The design from Italian architects Bernini and Borromini are expressed in the curved design and inspired by “San Carlos Alle Quattro Fontane” in Rome.

The Temple Complex's four major buildings, the Temple, Patron Housing, Visitor Center, and Chapel are designed around a traditional Italian Piazza with beautiful paved planted box areas, travertine paved surfaces and small pizzettas with olive trees and the center landscaped areas for quiet contemplation be Temple Patrons and Visitors.

Dynamic Materials and Dynamic Environments 

VCBO Architecture was selected in September 2017 as the architect for the replacement for Union Middle, with the goal of producing a modified version of the recently completed, successful Midvale Middle School, to be located on the east side of the site. In January of 2020, VCBO began regular meetings with the CSD facilities staff and Union Middle School leadership. Following these initial meetings, individual departments were engaged to develop a program and discover Union-specific needs. After a number of meetings with these groups, a list of goals/priorities was formed for the project, as follows:

1 THE SITE WILL BE OCCUPIED BY THE SCHOOL DURING CONSTRUCTION

The current school sits in the middle of the site, facing south, straddling a steep slope. With the intention to keep the school open during construction of the replacement school, the decision was made to design the new building facing west on the far east side of the site along 700 East. This will give the new building a strong presence along the 700 East while embracing good solar orientation for classroom wings and a protected west-facing entry. A clear separation between construction and the existing school, creating little disruption, is to be maintained through completion. A small section of classrooms on the east side of the school, (a previous addition), is to be demolished to accommodate this separation.

2 REPEATING MIDVALE MS IS NOT WHAT IS BEST FOR UNION

After meeting multiple times with CSD, Union Administration, and UMS departments, it became clear that it would be better to use the Midvale plan as a "kit of parts" to design a new layout specific to the needs of the Union community.

A conversation with UDOT regarding the creation of an access route for staff parking from and onto 700 East is still in negotiation. The majority of parking and student dropoff will occur in the front (west) parking lot, with access from 80000 South. The CSD successfully purchased the old, disused LDS seminary building located to the north and a property on 78000 South. This will be configured into access for buses, deliveries, and staff. The deliveries and bus drop will be located on the north side of the building.

The building is a configuration of eight massed building blocks:

The blocks are separated by 60' courtyards enclosed on three sides to provide outdoor learning environments while allowing maximum natural lighting to flood into all interior spaces. The main entrance is designed to be easily identifiable, creating an iconic canopy that acts as a branding moment for the school and a shelter from the elements. Inside the main entry, a high-volume space acts as a Welcome Hall which provides access to Administration, a large multi-purpose room (The Bobcat Den), and as an axis leading patrons to the 650-seat auditorium. Each classroom block has a central collaboration space designed for project-based learning activities, tutoring, and small group activities, lined with classroom spaces. The 2D and 3D art suites will be accessed through an art gallery proudly showcasing student art. The Athletic block will have two full courts with a dividing curtain. A running track hangs above the gymnasium, creating a three-lane circuit on all four sides. Exercise and dance studios will be located above the locker rooms. Provision has been made for separate locker rooms that will accommodate all genders. The commons is a double-height space accessed from the main hallway on both levels. A learning stair will anchor the space, acting as a magnet for students to sit, eat, learn, recharge devices, and just hang out. Large window walls face into a student courtyard, with doors allowing students to pour out into the courtyard, where they will find a number of attractions; ball walls, climbing walls, basketball, a large grassy area, and a health-promoting obstacle course.

Hard-wearing, robust, dynamic (yet economical) construction materials will be used throughout the project. The main blocks will act as a solid anchor composed of load-bearing 16x4 and 16x2 Atlas Brick in a mix of warm gray tones. The larger masses at the gym, auditorium, and Bobcat Den will be clad with vertical profile metal panels, multi-toned in a blue/gray color pallet, and installed in a random, dynamic pattern. Solid blue metal panels will be used at key moments such as the front entry, glass block central window extrusions, and courtyard end walls. Gold will be used sparingly as a trim accent color at window reveals and sun shades. Perforated metal panels around the building will create signage and branding opportunities along with shading the windows. A large digital display marque will be installed high on the back of the auditorium. This will give a strong presence for the school on the busy corner of 700 East and 80000 South Tilt-up concrete panels will be used as an economic structural element in main large blocks. All interior exposed tilt-up panels will be finished with a textured "form liner" giving a dynamic look with shadows and reveals. Interior materials used will be economical and easily maintained yet bold and bright, with hard-wearing finishes appropriate for the heavy-duty wear required to withstand the high activity of young teenage users. A strong focus on school branding, wayfinding, and natural light in interior spaces are all major drivers in the design.

VCBO Architecture was the architect of record for the restoration of the Utah State Capitol. An extensive group of engineers, consultants, and other specialists assisted in addressing the complex needs of the historic Capitol. The project included base isolation and seismic upgrade to the overall building of the dome and rotunda. As part of the seismic upgrade, a podium has been added to the building to provide the required moat and act as a barrier to protect the building. The exterior stone and terra cotta were reinforced to seismic standards, repaired, and/or replaced. The mechanical, electrical, data, and communications systems were completely replaced. The interior restoration included the replacement of skylights and the re-establishment of original spaces, colors, and ornamentation. The Capitol was divided into four restoration zones and has been connected to the East and West buildings through a below-podium tunnel. Significant investigation, documentation, testing, and planning were conducted to start the restoration process. Original, historic designs helped solve difficult issues. Intensive research of historic drawings, photos, and construction correspondence, combined with investigation of the building itself, provided insight into original design and construction decisions and opened avenues for new solutions

We’re Curiosity-Driven. So We Create Places for Curiosity to Thrive.

Shoreline Junior High School is the fourth in a series of an award-winning prototype. The school provides a state-of-the-art design that buffers middle school students from the stress and fragmentation associated with the typical junior high school experience. The key concept of the design is the organization of academic classrooms into grade-level specific, double-lobed academic learning suites, each surrounding and connected to a lively central collaboration space. These academic "houses" provide a highly flexible, open, and extremely visible environment for group collaboration, which fosters critical student-student and student-teacher relationships. The school is uniquely themed, with every learning suite providing a sense of personal identification and pride for the student. The theming also serves as a wayfinding device, provides exciting learning opportunities, and engages student interest. The theme for Shoreline Jr. High is “Connections,” celebrated both in the exterior design of the building and the interior detailing and signage. For Shoreline Jr. High, Layton City partnered with the District to build a large, double gymnasium as an amenity for the community. There is access to the large second-floor track for the community, as well.

The dōTERRA Distribution Center is the shipping mainstay for the dōTERRA community of essential oil products. This 326,000-square-foot facility next to Interstate 15 in Lindon, Utah will receive products from the manufacturing facility and will store and ready them for shipping to representatives and customers throughout the world. A state-of-the-art automated shipping system will be the horsepower behind the speedy processing and shipping of dōTERRA orders. Part of the overall facility also has 35,000 square feet of office space for the Logistics Division of dōTERRA International and will provide an open and vibrant work environment for all employees and drivers, whether in an office or on the warehouse floor.

85,000 (new construction); 25,000 (remodel)

Situated in the upscale resort town of Park City, Utah, home to the United States Ski Team, the Sundance Film Festival, and famous for skiing and year-round outdoor activities, this facility serves an international clientele. The architecture is reminiscent of the surrounding mountains and mining history and features rough mountain timbers, local stone, and rustic metal. It has indoor and outdoor fireplaces and a dining facility frequented by local residents. Work includes clinical spaces, expanded PT space, wellness facility, patient beds, operating rooms, and a large conference center.

Educational Spaces with the Future in Mind

Hear That? That's a Place That Sparks Educational Play

Sunburst Elementary is the optimal project-based learning environment, incorporating collaborative space, energy conservation, and perhaps most importantly, flexible and playful spaces for young learners. The elementary is a Zero Energy facility and one of the most energy-efficient public schools in the state of Utah. Correct orientation and an excellent building envelope, combined with sophisticated mechanical and electrical systems, reduce peak energy demands and maintain low energy use throughout the day. One such system is thermal displacement ventilation, utilized throughout the building. TDV pools fresh cool air on the floor, which convects up when it encounters heat sources (such as students). This quietly delivers fresh, clean air to the breathing zone, improving indoor air quality and decreasing absenteeism. Photovoltaic panels have been incorporated on the roof, as well as serving a dual purpose as sunshades above south-facing windows. Building orientation maximizes daylighting throughout and plays a key role in energy conservation.

Classroom wings in the elementary are designed with flexibility and functionality in the foreground. Flexible furniture and teaching surfaces are integrated into classrooms and collaboration spaces, allowing students and educators to learn/teach in a variety of locations, with a variety of tools. Each wing has a unique theme integrated into graphics and finishes, while pops of vibrant color energize occupants. The theme creates an identity for the wing and ultimately becomes an intriguing learning tool for students. The school integrates collaboration spaces adjacent to the classrooms, both visually and physically connected by means of an overhead glass door, extending classrooms into a common learning space. Large glass doors also open the Multipurpose Room & Maker Space into the main Commons, allowing large gatherings to expand as needed and giving the school a more open and inviting vibe. This transparency highlights an exciting showcase for student work within the Maker Space for patrons as they enter the school.

Sunburst Elementary is unique also in that it is a Teacher Academy, meaning partner universities and colleges with education programs will bring their students and staff to this school to receive ‘in-classroom’ training and educational opportunities. Classrooms are designed to facilitate this process, and a training room was added to enhance student-teacher learning.

The school’s theme is Bodies In Motion: Rhythm. Each of the four classroom wings represents a unique category of rhythm: Look, Listen, Move & Make. These themes are incorporated into the design of the interior and exterior of the building in a variety of ways. Patterns in the exterior masonry create a fun rhythmic texture to the façade and colorful metal panel patterns were created by simulating beats of measure in music. Each composed panel represents a portion of a different piece of music. The landscape incorporates the four sub-themes; extruded sound waves in the concrete benches and artificial turf on the playground (Listen); the Fibonacci sequence is integrated into concrete patterns on the sidewalk, enhanced by sandblasting that really makes the pattern pop (Look); landscaping and concrete patterns radiate from the school's flagpole to create a sundial (Move), and the Fibonacci spiral has been created via planting patterns (Make).

Awards: AGC of Utah Green Project of the Year Award 2020

Design & Materials to Reflect Local Landscape

VCBO Architecture completed a major renovation, reconfiguration, and overall modernization for Alta High School. Although the main building is now 40 years old, the decision was made to design a major renovation rather than a complete replacement. This not only made financial sense but proved to be less disruptive for students, faculty, and the community. The priorities determined by the project’s stakeholders included a new façade that reflects a new brand, a new performing arts center, renovated commons, reconfigured student services and reception areas in a central location, relocation of the performing arts programs into a new performing arts center, the addition of a field house, reconfigured parking lots to provide more parking spaces, and upgrades to the HVAC, AV, and lighting throughout the school facilities.

Materials were an important component in the planning and construction processes. It was important to the stakeholders that Alta High appear as a new school from the street and within. With this in mind, VCBO selected materials that are economical and easily maintained yet bold and bright, with hard-wearing finishes appropriate for the heavy wear required to withstand high activity, teenage users. The materials selected also serve to highlight the school’s new brand, wayfinding, and in providing natural light to interior spaces.

Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital - Lehi Campus

Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah is a world-renowned facility treating children in the Intermountain West. Located about 30 miles south of the Salt Lake Campus, in a rapidly growing residential area, construction for the new Miller Campus in Lehi, Utah is underway. VCBO teamed with EYP’s Atlanta office for the design of this exciting project and worked seamlessly through a very complicated pre-design period spanning a time period of nearly one year. Intermountain gave the team the task of verifying the master plan and space program completed in a previous exercise prior to any design taking place. Care was taken at every step to make sure that every decision was a prudent one that added to the immediate and long-term benefit of the community and Intermountain. The project scope consists of a full-service hospital and clinic housed in one contiguous structure. The hospital houses an Emergency Department capable of becoming a level 1 facility, a Surgery Suite with associated Pre/Post/PACU, Imaging, Lab, NICU, PICU, Patient Beds, Behavioral Health Beds, and all the associated amenities required for a facility of this nature. Clinics consisted of specialties that support and sustain hospital services.

This project is the reconfiguration of the existing Alta View Hospital Campus through a series of renovations, demolition of existing buildings and the construction of new buildings. This project includes 2 new buildings, a Central Utility Plant, renovation of existing buildings and the demolition of existing buildings to be abandoned once the new buildings are built. This project is broken down into 2 major components. The "Hospital" and the "Clinic."

Spaces for people to thrive.

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