Jack Burton's AIA Utah Award!

AIA Utah recently awarded one of our newest team members with a special honor. Jack Burton received a Graduate Award for Excellence in Design. His award-winning work focused on “Re-framing Land Tenure in Rural Britain.”

“I feel very lucky they chose mine out of everyone that submitted,” says Jack. “It’ lovely to have my hard work recognized. I’m still processing it all.”

Growing up in the countryside west of London, UK, this project was a chance for Jack to showcase his architectural abilities, while paying homage to his roots.

The initial design research focused on the relationship between art and its real-world impacts, examining the "picturesque" as an aesthetic concept in nineteenth-century Britain. As a result of his exploration, he set a goal of designing a contemporary space that challenged private enclosure (a practice perpetuated through picturesque aesthetics) with a construction technique indicative of a non-landowning class. The project sought to grant rural residents’ autonomy over the land surrounding them.

“The goal was to help people feel like they have a stake and ownership of the countryside,” Jack explains. "I wanted this design to be a shared agricultural center that seeks to rejuvenate forgotten parcels of common land."

The resulting communal design, drafted by Jack, consists of a central kitchen, a warehouse, and a series of greenhouses for everyone to utilize.

As Jack looks forward to future chapters of his career, he hopes to continue to bring feelings of involvement and oneness within a communal space. He hopes his designs help others feel like owners and stakeholders of shared programs.

More information on Jack’s award-winning design can be found at https://aiautah.org/page/2025-reframe. Even though Jack may be a recent graduate, he has already earned the distinction of being an award-winning designer!