Architectural Nexus, an employee owned company with offices in Salt Lake City, Ut. and Sacramento, Ca., is excited to announce that Robb Harrop has been elected to serve as Arch Nexus President.

Mr. Harrop brings a wealth of experience to this position, strengthening Arch Nexus’ status as a diverse, multi-disciplinary design firm. As Vice President of Design for the past 8 years, Robb has directed the overall design efforts for the firm and has proven his skills for design, leadership, and integration of the widely diverse array of talents at Arch Nexus. Major projects for which Robb has led the design include University of Utah Hospital, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Daybreak Library as well as numerous LDS temple projects including those in Payson And Syracuse Utah.

Robb has gained the respect of his peers, industry partners, as well as numerous clients through his tremendous ability to quickly visualize, illustrate, and conceive beautiful structures that inspire. His deep understanding of biophilic design principles, forged through Arch Nexus practice of sustainable design, has been key to the development of some of this region’s most regenerative projects. Arch Nexus Chairman of the Board, Mark Davis expresses his confidence in this new appointment by stating that “Although change in leadership can be a challenging time for a firm, we are very fortunate to have Robb step into the role of President as he is a true collaborator and consensus builder. He will strengthen our firm in many new ways and we are all very excited for the future.”

Having joined the firm very early in his career as an intern architect, Robb holds 25 years of tenure with Arch Nexus. He earned his Master’s in Architecture from the University of Utah in 2000 and has been licensed in the state of Utah since 2004. Robb describes his experience in the business of Architecture by sharing, “My father always taught me to work with people of integrity. I am honored to have great mentors to learn from, a great team to collaborate with, and excellent people around me with whom I share deep trust.”

The Northeastern Chapter of the California Society for Healthcare Engineering presents

Central Plant Electrification Requirements, Trends, and Equipment

May 11, 2022 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM

Architectural Nexus, 930 R St Sacramento CA

Presented by Aaron Wintersmith, Director of Sustainability, Capital Engineering and Jeffrey Jerwers, Account Executive, Johnson Controls, Inc.

This event is focused on the electrification of central plants. That is, the reorganization of plants to eliminate fossil fuel use and replace it with electric sources. Content will include regulations and organizational goals that are driving the trend of Central Plant electrification. Presenters will share technical solutions that successfully re-organize central plants using Heat Pump chillers, Air Source Heat Pumps, and similar technologies. Case study success and challenges will be presented for examination and discussion.

REGISTER HERE.

Utah Construction and Design Magazine takes a deep dive into the history and architecture of the Sprague Library, located in the heart of Salt Lake City’s Sugar House neighborhood. After a devastating flood in 2017, the library underwent a renovation designed by Architectural Nexus. Interestingly, the construction for this renovation was performed by Paulsen Construction, the same company that built the original library in 1928!

The two level 34,00 SF library was updated while maintaining the beautiful, high-gabled, English Tudor-style exterior. Named the “Most Beautiful Library in America” in 1935, the stakes were high for designers to preserve and improve the iconic structure.

It was about being able to have the connection to the culture, the history, the people who designed and constructed that building, and [those] who used it for almost 100 years, said Mihnea Dobre, Project Architect for Salt Lake-based Arch Nexus. At the same time, [we wanted]to make it a modern, useable space that people can be inspired by and create memories. It was very inspiring and rewarding to preserve that history and make it something of today that is productive in bringing the community together.

I’m very proud of the projects we do as a company, in taking something old and giving it new life and new meaning, or at least a renewed appreciation within its place within its localized culture,” said Brian Cassil, Director of Communications at Arch Nexus. People, generally, really love history […] and buildings that are emblematic of history that can be expressed through architecture. Sprague Library is an excellent example of that.

In terms of design, the way colors and shape move throughout the building is truly innovative, continuing to tie it to other historical Sugar House buildings and businesses such as the Granite Furniture Sputnik, Snelgrove Ice Cream, and Nu Crisp Popcorn, maintaining the classic sugar beet iconography.

It’s a careful balancing act, said Cassil of designing functional, aesthetically pleasing, modern spaces into a historic building. There is this modern approach to space planning, with careful attention to helping everyone feel welcome. […] It’s a very modern library in terms of amenities and space planning, but done in a way that the design pays homage to the Art Deco era—visual elements that pay tribute to the original design of the building.

Click here for more images and the full story from UC&D, page 22.

Commercial Interior Design Association, IIDA Intermountain, recently selected Architectural Nexus Salt Lake City, as the Merit Award winner for best work over 15,000 square feet. The SLC Regenerative Office is a project aiming to become the first Living Building along the Wasatch Front. The Living Building Challenge re-imagines what is possible in sustainability. The project includes innovations in resilient design, healthy materials, energy, water, and waste reduction, and will serve as an example of how a building can regenerate the environment and the community.

From IIDA Intermountain: These awards celebrate those interior design projects that go beyond the pretty picture and truly encompass great design. We also recognize that successful interior design requires a collaboration of many disciplines such as, consultant teams, project managers, vendors, contractors, etc. This awards show is a celebration of that collaboration, and of great design in the Intermountain region. Take a peek at these images of the Interior at Arch Nexus SLC and the IIDA awards event.

Specialized architects are advocating for urgent attention to the topic of vulnerability, as it relates to climate change and building design. Architectural Nexus Regenerative Design Specialist, Megan Recher, is a contributor for the recent AIA article, Vulnerability: What it is and why architects should care.

As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, the assessment of vulnerability is as critical to building design as knowing the heating, cooling, or plumbing needs of a building.

Architects are facing a new reality, as seen in 2021; with Chicago roofs collapsing under record snowfall and the tragic winter power outages in Texas – to deadly heat in the Pacific Northwest and flooding in New York City. Rethinking methodology and understanding social factors are important next steps Architects must take, as outlined in the highly informative article.

“It can be hard or even overwhelming for our clients to know all the vulnerabilities in their project regions because they’re running businesses – which are often not related to climate science. It is our job to help educate our clients on best practices for an ever changing future. What we’ve found is that if we take this knowledge to our clients in a way that is relevant to their practice, whatever it is, they are eager to design the best places they can.” – Megan Recher, AIA

 Click here to read the full AIA article, including informative links for information about hazards, vulnerability, and risk and how to conduct a vulnerability assessment for new or existing buildings.

Artists of Utah – Utah’s Art Magazine, shines a spotlight on a unique feature of the new Architectural Nexus headquarters in Salt Lake City. Columnist Michael Redd shares an overview of the functionality of the Designated Living Building and concludes a written tour of Arch Nexus SLC at a bus stop at the front of the site, near Parleys Way. Nexus designers Megan Repka and Miguel Cortes developed their design according to LBC criteria:

The bus stop/shelter is not only a bus stop and a shelter but a trellis to support plantings that will add green space and oxygen to the site. As well, it is made from reclaimed and recycled materials including lumber from old railroad trestles, repurposed steel support columns and beams and steel connection plates and stamped architectural steel from other construction projects.

But, perhaps most symbolic is that the stop/shelter has been designed and built before the bus even stops at this location.  As Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) in Field of Dreams heard in his head: “If you build it, they will come.” In order to inspire mass transit to this section of the city, promoting social justice and equity, Arch Nexus designed and built the bus stop/shelter before any buses are scheduled to stop here.

Click here to read the full article from Artists of Utah and here for more information on the Equity Petal and social justice aspect of Living Building Certification.

Utah Construction and Design announced their selections for this year’s Most Outstanding Projects. The 2021 winners include three Architectural Nexus designs.

The category of Community Impact goes to Salt Lake County Kearns Library.

The Arch Nexus SLC office takes the Green/Sustainable category.

The Laboratory/Research most outstanding project is ARUP Phase 4, submitted by Okland Construction.

Stay tuned for more images and a recap of each of the award-winning projects in the December issue of UC&D.

Architectural Nexus would like to thank the organizations that provide the opportunity to work on these projects and more. Arch Nexus would also like to express gratitude to everyone who took part in bringing these projects to life.

Arch Nexus is honored to be recognized as the Architectural Designer in several project awards from ENR Mountain States. The 2021 Best Projects competition encompasses a seven-state region with a panel of 10 judges from all areas of the industry.

Taking home the award for Best Small Project (Under $10M) is the Architectural Nexus Office Remodel in Salt Lake City, with General Contractor, Jacobsen Construction Co.

In the Health Care category, the Huntsman Cancer Institute Proton Therapy Center in Salt Lake City received the Merit Award also with Jacobsen Construction Co.

The winner of Renovation/Restoration award is United States Cold Storage Warehouse, in Syracuse, Utah with General Contractor Big-D Construction Corp.

When presented with the best small project award, Senior Principal Architect and Director of Design, Robb Harrop, stated “We set a high expectation for ourselves to do something better than ‘less bad’. We are thankful for the partners who helped us achieve that vision.”

Hexcel Corporation has broken ground on a new, 100,000-square-foot facility that will be home to a state-of-the-art laboratory in West Valley City, Utah. Once completed in late 2022, scientists and researchers will collaborate with customers on the latest composite technology developments for aerospace, space and defense, and industrial applications. It will be the company’s largest center for innovation and product development in North America.

The new site is also designed to serve as a customer care center, allowing groups to gather in the lobby and conferencing areas, then proceed along a looping path through the laboratories to tour the processes in development at the Research and Technology center.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, Hexcel Chairman, CEO and President Nick Stanage said when the Center opens, “you will be surrounded by everything it means to be a leader in advanced composites technology. You will see high-tech labs and cutting-edge research and testing equipment.”

Architectural Nexus is pleased to provide the architectural design for this exciting addition to Utah’s business landscape.