GSBS Architects Achieves Record Number of LEED Certifications / April 6, 2016 by SHOKO SMITH

GSBS Architects Achieves Record Number of LEED Certifications For Green Projects Representing $500+ Million in Construction

(Salt Lake City, UT – 3/23/16) With the certification of the Jordan Valley Water Conservation Building, GSBS Architects has designed 30 LEED certified projects which account for more than 2.5 million square feet of space at a construction cost of over half a billion dollars. These projects, which span all sectors of construction – offices, educational institutions, judicial centers, and even storage space – include many significant buildings, among them: The Utah Olympic Speed Skating Oval, Natural History Museum of Utah, and the Salt Lake City Public Safety Building.

These 30 LEED certified projects in Utah, and Texas, include 3 Platinum, the highest ranking, 11 Gold, 12 Silver, and 4 Certified. According to the Green Building Council which issues the certifications, “LEED certification provides independent verification of a building or neighborhood’s green features, allowing for the design, construction, operations and maintenance of resource-efficient, high-performing, healthy, cost-effective buildings. LEED is the triple bottom line in action, benefiting people, planet and profit.”

When determining LEED certifications, credit is distributed across six categories: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, Innovation in Design. Additional points may be earned for regional priority and innovation in design.

According to Garth Shaw, GSBS Principal and LEED expert, “When designing buildings, project teams, including owners, have many sustainable design choices that don't necessarily cost more. We work with our clients creating healthy, resource-efficient, cost-effective spaces which enhance the experiences of everyone who walks through the doors,” he said. “By bringing the good in — like clean air and access to daylight — and keeping the bad out—including harmful chemicals found in paints, finishes and more – we optimize the well-being of our lives and planet.”

Marianne Wander St. John Joins GSBS Architects / March 30, 2016 by SHOKO SMITH

(Salt Lake City, UT March 20, 2016) Marianne Wander St. John, AIA, has joined the Salt Lake City office of GSBS Architects. Her areas of expertise include design of commercial and institutional architecture and project management. She has a special interest in projects which serve the community as a whole, such as public service buildings, museums, health care, and urban development. St. John wasone of the first LEED accredited professionals in Utah, and sustainability is an integral part of her practice.

GSBS President Kevin Miller said, “We are very excited to have an architect of Marianne’s caliber and experience join GSBS. She will complement our already strong commitment to providing design solutions that responsibly use our client’s resources.”

Since graduating with a Masters Degree in Architecture from the University of Utah, she has worked in Salt Lake City architectural firms where she focused on commercial and institutional architecture. She is also an adjunct professor in the U's College of Architecture and Planning.

St. John serves on the boards of Tracy Aviary and the Wasatch Resort Water Company.

More about Marianne in our People page.

Cottonwood Heights - New Municipal Center Taking Shape / February 12, 2016 by SHOKO SMITH

By Councilman Scott Bracken

For the last few months, I’ve made it a weekly practice to visit the new city hall construction site to observe the progress being made and to learn in detail all that goes into a construction project of this size. It’s been very interesting to see how things change, and how my perception of things changes as I’ve watched the construction progress.

As you read this, all the masonry work on the building will be essentially complete, the roof deck on the police side of the building (along 2300 East) will be in place and a good portion of the steel for the central areas (council chambers, multi-purpose/public room, lobby area) and the administration side (along Bengal Blvd.) will soon be completed. Of course, this is always dependent upon the weather. Once steel is in place, the roof and roof deck can be installed, which will help move things along. At the very least, I won’t have to drive down Bengal Boulevard and see a worker clearing out our city manager’s office space with a snow blower!

It has surprised me to go back and see how my perception of the size of a space changes as construction progresses. I will admit that when I first went to the site and looked at the footings and rough layout of the rooms, I was surprised that everything looked so small. Now that I’ve been inside the walls of the police wing, that same space now looks much larger – and big enough to house the functions that are required. I’m told that this is a common perception with laypeople such as myself.

As I catch the end of the weekly coordination meetings with our staff, the contractor, and the architects, it’s gratifying to know how much work each is putting into the project. There is an extreme amount of detail on a project this size and coordination between city staff, the architect, and the contractors is critical. I also realize the vision of what it can be, while ensuring that cost-saving opportunities are not lost and all necessary steps in the construction process are followed to specification.

I look forward to getting the project complete (we’re planning on a September completion) and having the new space. I’m particularly excited to see the multi-purpose/lobby areas, which will be open and available to the citizens of our city. Having a location for local groups to meet or hold events is something Cottonwood Heights needs. Adjacent to the multi-purpose area is a catering kitchen. I expect that school groups, teams, volunteer groups, and possibly wedding parties will find many good uses for the space. The location is central to the city, and the views are amazing.

The space is also large enough to accommodate public meetings that generate a lot of community interest, as well as host other intergovernmental groups or associations in our city. Our desire for the space is that it will be utilized well by city staff and the public.

I look forward to having a roof overhead for those working on the site – that will help them keep dry at least, and possibly a little warmer. The next few weeks’ work will really have the shape and feel of the exterior building come into its own. As the exterior stonework gets completed and the windows get installed, we will all get a better feel for what the building will become. As spring and summer pass, the other exterior features will be completed, including the plaza area on the corner of Bengal Boulevard and 2300 East. This will be a nice, accessible area right along two main corridors of the city. Bengal Boulevard will become even more of a public services corridor as Brighton, (the new) Butler Middle School, the Cottonwood Heights Recreation Center, Butler Park, Guthrie skate park, and Canyon View Elementary are complimented by the new municipal center.

As a city organization, we have tried from the very beginning to capitalize on the synergy between various governmental entities serving our citizens that residents have come to expect. The continued cooperation between city leaders, school leaders/faculty/students, Cottonwood Height Parks and Recreation service area, Salt Lake County and others has yielded one of the most sought after locations for people to live. We think you will love our city’s new gathering place.

Utah No. 10 in Nation for 'Green Buildings' / January 26, 2016 by SHOKO SMITH

Utah has propelled itself into the top 10 states in the nation for the amount of per-capita building space designed and built as "green."

There were 31 LEED-certified projects in Utah for 2015, the designation that stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

Snowbird to Open Long-Awaited Refuge atop Hidden Peak / December 24, 2015 by SHOKO SMITH

Two years in the making and decades in planning, Utah’s Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort will unwrap a special Christmas gift to its guests on Saturday when it officially opens its new building atop Hidden Peak.

Park City Council Talks Main Street Plaza / November 24, 2015 by SHOKO SMITH

Design Process Ongoing

The design team working on the Main Street Plaza property returned to the Park City Council at a work session meeting Nov. 19 to update the council on where everything stands. The city-owned property is located at the intersection of Main Street and Swede Alley and colloquially known as the "Brew Pub" property for its proximity to the Wasatch Brew Pub. Clio Rayner of GSBS Architects said council has made it clear -- this is a valuable piece of real estate and it is important they get the best possible use from it.

Trophy Club buys land for $1.3M as home for new town hall / May 4, 2015 by SHOKO SMITH

The Town of Trophy Club closed on a tract of land as part of its large goal of building a new joint town hall and police facility, which has been planned for several years.

From hookers to headlines to hip, Salt Lake City's Regent Street / April 26, 2015 by SHOKO SMITH

A once-notorious Salt Lake City back street appears destined for some artistic respectability.

Right next to construction of the new performing-arts center on Main Street, the city is launching a $12.8 million face-lift for Regent Street, Orpheum Avenue and a disused service alley off Main to be dubbed Regent Walk.

If the plans come true, the renovation will transform what was once called Commercial Street — home to the city's red-light district, complete with brothels, taprooms, gambling halls and later, several newspapers — into the nexus of an emerging downtown arts district.

The project is meant as an appealing complement to the $110 million, 2,500-seat George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater, under construction at 135 S. Main St., while adding an inviting and walkable north-south corridor between the Gallivan Center and City Creek Center.