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Tokyo Forum Plaza, Tokyo, Japan

Stone is the most solid and enduring material we build with. It appears to be embedded in the psyche of humankind. We love to see it, climb on it, mark boundaries and build with it. Precious, more delicate stones we use for adornment. It can be beautiful, tactile, and infinitely cut, sculpted and shaped.

Here at Lloyd Architects, we have recently had the opportunity to examine stone again in a few house designs. We’re not talking about granite counter tops and tile floors. Our clients want to see stone used more broadly in the visual and performing functions of the construction and connection to the landscape. In some cases, we use stone found on site. So we are in the fortunate position of being able to explore using stone and what that means in terms of potential and the processes involved, from quarrying to craftspeople.

Katsura Imperial Villa, Kyoto, Japan

Stone was perhaps the first object utilized to construct shelter and to mark important ideas. At sites around the world, the greatest buildings and monuments have been built of stone, creating a lasting legacy. The organization of human force and ingenuity have been summoned to extract, transport and build with this most ancient of materials throughout millennia.

St. Peter's Basilica, Rome, Italy

Kunstmuseum, Stuttgart, Germany

As far as building materials go, few are as versatile, durable, strong or distinctive as stone. All stone, however, is not created equally. Some is softer and perhaps more porous than others, lending itself to impermanence. Largely though, stone is the longest lasting natural material we build with, and readily available just about everywhere.We look forward to more projects that create this type of connection to our identity, past and future. And while we have a variety of materials available today, we will always continue to use stone.

There is a current counter trend to shop, grow, dine, and support local enterprise. When prompted, Google Images instantly renders hundreds of “Buy Local” logos from “Buy Local Portland” (Maine) to “Local First Portland” (Oregon) and every place between.  This includes a fine campaign by Local First Utah, a non-profit organization that “seeks to strengthen communities and local economies by promoting, preserving, and protecting local, independently owned businesses throughout Utah.”

Buy Local Collage: Google Images

We can call the phenomenon a counter trend, of course, because of the sweeping trend toward commercial globalization, the other omnipresent topic. As a reaction to the prevailing trend, the “Buy Local” initiative is appealing regardless of where “local” happens to be. Reason being that local interest has manifold motivations in improving economy, sustainability, health, and community.

If our impulse to “live local” is proportional to the rate of globalization then we can expect that as our world becomes increasingly “global,” our appetite for “local” will increase. Where will we look to satisfy our increasing demand for a sense of locality or perhaps our ultimate goal, a sense of home?

“Otherworld”Andrew Wyeth 2002

The architecture of the places we live, learn, worship, and work is ideally suited to grab us by our senses and make us feel at home in our community.  However, the architecture of our day-to-day life will not provide us a sense of locality simply by being there.  In fact, our built environment could further alienate us if local influence is ignored or omitted.

Just as in commerce, as we build buildings, only a conscious effort can temper prevailing influence of the default and standard.  At the same time, we must acknowledge that standardization makes many of the amenities of modern life and modern design available to us.  How, then can we “localize” new architecture while utilizing the advancements and services in the modern, globally standardized world?

Architecture scholar Christain Norberg-Schulz wrote: “Architecture is something built, and that built form becomes an art when it gathers and represents the world to which it belongs.”¹ By sensitively gathering, translating and representing local elements in the new architecture we make, we begin to shape a built world that makes us feel at home in a specific city, neighborhood or room.

“Night Sleeper” Andrew Wyeth

At Lloyd Architects we think about how to make architecture feel at home on a specific site. Working in Utah’s unique urban and rural landscapes allows us to discover design opportunities to locate new architecture in time and place.  As architects and designers, we aim to be sensitive observers of culture.  As we witness the cultural desire for “Buy Local”, we propose that “Build Local” is appealing for all the same reasons.

1. Christian Norberg-Shulz, Nightlands: Nordic Building (Cambrige, MA, The MIT Press, 1996),ix.

Setting:  A residential neighborhood in the Richmond Beach area of Seattle.

Clients:  If you read the previous post on this house, you may remember this renovated beach bungalow.  At the time of the remodel a decade ago, the clients had two children; they’ve since welcomed two more children to their family.

Background:  Bedroom space was limited so the clients wondered if they could capture some space for a little bedroom in a high-ceilinged area above their home office space upstairs.

Below:  The office area near the windows had a vaulted ceiling.

Challenges: None, really.

Possibilities: The vaulted space in the vertical farm-style roofline provided the opportunity to create a comfortable  little room perched at the top of the house.  The beauty of a post and beam frame structure is not merely visual; in this case, the frame provides a sustainable way to add a floor for a cozy bedroom without any exterior changes to the house which would have involved roofing, siding and/or windows.

Solutions:  Warren had previously anticipated the use of some of this space and created access via a catwalk area within the timber frame. The family used this area as a library space, accessible by a ladder. By extending the floor of this catwalk over the vaulted ceiling, they were able to capture a cozy little nook for their son.  The window looks out to Puget Sound and beyond, a perfect setting for big dreams.

(For more interior photos and details on this project, visit Stephmodo’s recent post from her Real Life Home Series.)

We had a little fun this holiday season with a residential design challenge on a smaller scale than most of our projects.  How hard would it be to make a bunch of gingerbread houses and get a few families together for an evening of decorating?

Warren sketched two designs for the gingerbread house project, one modern and the other traditional, both designs based loosely on current projects on the boards. Rebecca made some models and then we got busy baking and building. We learned a lot about gingerbread houses in the process and could write a pretty comprehensive list of dos and don’ts. Suffice it to say that we got much more efficient with experience.

The invitations gave attendees a choice between decorating a traditional or modern house.  (It turns out this particular group was about 50/50.)

An assortment of candies, nuts, dried fruits, and cereals created the decorating palette for the bare houses and a few whimsical signs (made by a talented friend) provided a little inspiration.

And then we got down to business.

We loved the creative uses of materials.  (Note the different uses of dried pineapple rings alone.)    Do these qualify as eye candy?

We just returned from Phoenix where we attended Reinvention 2011, an architectural symposium organized by publisher Hanley Wood.  We try to go at least once a year to a conference for the chance to see our practice with fresh eyes and be inspired as we visit with architects from all over the country; this was our first Reinvention that we’ve attended and it won’t be our last.  Reinvention caters specifically to architects who design residential work.  As Warren has several interesting residential projects on the boards, the timing couldn’t have been better.  We spent the first day on a tour of 5 homes designed by local Phoenix architects.

All were remarkable; two homes in particular stood out for me.  Both had quiet facades in the streetscape but hidden within were elements of drama and surprise, jewels to be discovered.  The first was the Cedar Street Residence designed by colab studio in Tempe.

The husband and wife are both architects and he admitted that they almost had to hire an architect to design their home for lack of agreement between them.  They had purchased the 1954 bungalow several years ago and tight budget constraints demanded a design that was simple and efficient.  I’m glad they were able to come to a consensus, because the resulting product is beautiful.  The first surprise here was the oasis of an interior courtyard flanked by the original home on one side (completely gutted, but now used for bedrooms) and a new structure on the opposite side (where their office and kitchen/living area are located).

The second surprise was the use of millwork on castors to create flexibility in room sizes.  Millwork separates the dining room and office area and can be moved to accommodate a larger dining area when entertaining guests for dinner or a larger office space when hosting a client meeting.  Interestingly, they designed the project in phases, initially creating outdoor pods for bedroom spaces.  Dwell magazine wrote about that here.  And for beautiful photos of this project on their own website, visit here.

Will Bruder + Partners designed the Hill/Shepard Residence years ago and it remains one of Bruder’s favorite projects.

As he spoke to us in the driveway upon our arrival in front of the unassuming facade, I’ll admit that I had no idea what was in store for us.  Designed for a family that likes to entertain and has an extensive art collection, the home is full of surprises, both indoors and out.

I really appreciated the restraint of the front design; there were so many “aha” moments as we toured the home, from the canyon-like climb up the stairs to the crow’s nest on top of the house.The house was full of nooks and cozy spaces designed on a human scale. The homeowners love to entertain and it was apparent that this home is a cherished gathering spot for friends and family.  Our photos only begin to capture some of the color and detail of the home.  Visit Will Bruder’s website for the professional set of photos.

Tip for young architects:  Attend architectural conferences as soon as you possibly can.  In the early days, we couldn’t afford to travel to them, but Warren always made an effort to attend local AIA offerings when we lived in Seattle.  (Attending one such conference led to a job in northern Japan where we lived for a year.) Conferences provide a chance to network, get inspired, and reinvent how we do things.  It’s one of the best things we’ve done to stay inspired.

One recurring theme in recent years at conferences sponsored by the American Institute of Architects is the adaptive reuse of historic buildings, a smart approach to construction both for its green elements and the preservation of history.  Warren has worked on a number of these preservation projects in Salt Lake City.  The first such project, The Westgate Lofts, was completed a few years ago, and involved converting an old warehouse building to mixed-use housing and retail spaces.

During the early phases of the project, we attended the national AIA convention in Los Angeles.  Warren and I participated in a tour of warehouse spaces that had been converted to housing andretail use.  (Can I just say how much I love the architectural tours at the AIA conventions? It’s inspiring to see thoughtful architectural solutions in urban neighborhoods.)  About that same time, we also took a trip to Portland  and explored the Pearl District, a beautifully executed urban renewal project in the heart of that city. It’s encouraging to see the revitalization of downtown areas in our major cities and the rediscovery of the original fabric of our earliest neighborhoods.

What’s the story with this building?  At the turn of the 20th century,  businessman Malcom A. Keyser built the Fireproof Store Company in downtown Salt Lake City.  Over several decades, the building housed a variety of businesses, including a recording studio and storage units. Located near the Gateway Shopping District in Salt Lake, the 140,341 square-foot condominium project now houses 55 residential units and two commercial spaces, while retaining the original historic building. The lofts include five existing floors with the addition of a sixth floor and mezzanine with steel and timber framing.

I think it turned out beautifully, if I do say so myself:

Drop by our office on Tuesday, November 15 between 4 and 6 PM as we participate in Salt Lake Design Week Studio Crawl. Tuesday’s Open Studio Crawl features design and architecture firms in the East District. Come by and see our renovated office space and check out what we’ve got on the boards.  See you Tuesday!

Taylor Woolley was a native Salt Lake  architect who worked in Frank Lloyd Wright’s Oak Park studio and and later at Taliesin in Wisconsin. Woolley travelled with Wright in Europe and contributed to the drawing and production of the Wasmuth Portfolio, a two-volume folio of Wright’s early work,  published in Berlin in 1910.

The Yale Avenue Ray House, built in 1915 was one of Utah’s earliest examples of Prairie Style homes with its extended hipped eaves, horizontal belt course,  and ganged windows. The influence of Wright is unmistakable. The current owners, Mike & Jenny Pulsipher, gave us the challenge and opportunity to design an addition that would respect the original house while providing needed space for their family. The solution included south-facing covered balconies and a new master bedroom over a new family room space, all oriented toward a contained backyard.

The addition met the requirements for the Utah Historic Preservation Tax Credit as well as the Yalecrest Compatible Infill Overlay zone.

Salt Lake Modern recently hosted a tour and lecture at the Yale Ave house.  It was my first opportunity to personally see how the flow of the house works for parties and larger groups. I loved seeing people enjoying the upper balconies and the backyard. It was the perfect setting to hear Architectural Historian Peter Goss describe so eloquently the setting for Taylor Woolley’s return to the West from his time with Wright, and to see, nearly one hundred years later a bit of a Taliesin-like “house in the landscape” as Woolley may have envisioned from his days in that special place in the Wisconsin countryside.

Here are before & after photos of the back of the house:

For ages, I’ve been meaning to post about houzz.com as a valuable resource for those gearing up for a remodel or planning a new home.  It’s a well-organized resource that allows the user to create idea books right on their website.  Users can browse the site by filtering for individual rooms and spaces (“home office,” “patio,” “kitchen”)  and style (“contemporary,” “eclectic,” etc.) and then save any images to individual idea books. We’ve created idea books on their site and have enjoyed searching the reservoir of images that are readily available (most are uploaded to the site by architects and interior designers). Beats tearing apart magazines, though I still have plenty of those kind of images in my files, too.  And clients have sent us links to their own idea books to help us better understand their tastes and preferences.

So, we were excited when Houzz.com contacted us about featuring the Logan Canyon House for their most recent Houzz Tour:

In 2008 Warren launched one of our most ambitious remodeling projects ever, that of our own office building. As his wife, to say I was a little concerned would be a bit of an understatement, but happily his vision won over my worries (be sure to scroll down to see the “after” photo). The most recent issue of Utah Style and Design features the story of our office remodel (see pages 44-46). Utah Style has also posted a “behind-the-scenes”  narrative of the photo shoot on their blog.   To see photos of the finished interior,  visit the portfolio section of our website.  Better yet, if you are in the area, give us a call to schedule a tour of the building.

Salt Lake Modern and the Utah Heritage Foundation are featuring Taylor Woolley and the Yale Ave House, a home that we remodeled in 2008.  We’ll be there to share some sustainable aspects of this remodel and would love to see you there!

In Salt Lake many of our neighborhoods are full of beautiful homes built several decades ago.  While they are loaded with charm, they are often impractical for today’s lifestyle and technology, leaving homeowners wondering whether they should renovate their property or move. The November 2011 issue of Fine Homebuilding has an article every one thinking about renovating should read.  “12 Restoration Blunders” identifies pitfalls to avoid  when planning for a remodel.  One in particular caught my eye: Mistake #9: Ignoring Historic Tax Credits.  In Salt Lake, there are 10 national historic districts (the city website only lists 8; the Yalecrest and Liberty Wells neighborhoods should also be listed on the registry).  The author of the article writes, “Historic-rehabilitation tax credits are the largest incentive available to residential homeowners in the United States, even larger than the sacred mortgage-interest deduction.” We couldn’t agree more.  In the past 2 years, five of our projects have qualified for this tax credit, including our own office space.

Another helpful resource  to those considering a remodel is a publication put out by the Utah Heritage Foundation. Celebrating Compatible Design: Creating New Spaces in Historic Homes features beautiful photos and drawings of homes throughout the Salt Lake City area that have utilized good design to create functional, contemporary homes that are compatible with their surroundings and retain the historic character of the home.  The book explains the hows & whys of good design and looks particularly at compatible additions, dormers, and garages. If you’re considering a remodel in Salt Lake, you will want to get a copy of this book.

Note: Our summer intern, Nate Russell, is heading east to attend Syracuse U for graduate work in architecture.  While at our offices, he worked on the schematic design for an interactive web design firm that is relocating to a renovated historic building in the downtown area of Salt Lake.  Here are Nate’s thoughts on the area:

I walk down Floral Street (roughly 50 E and 250 S) and look at all the historical remnants  that have the feeling of a back alleyway. Ornate lion heads now blackened and worn look down on me from several stories above. An old water tower watches over the area from the top a building. It makes me feel like I have stepped back to the turn of the 19^th century. New graffiti battles for room with old advertisements painted on the sides of the aged brick exterior walls and I wonder what the future is for such an interesting place. (more…)

Another book worth reading is The Face of Home: A New Way to Look at the Outside of Your House, by Boston architect Jeremiah Eck.   He writes,  ”When people describe houses they tend to think in absolute terms, using labels that don’t always completely fit…. Well designed houses are often a mix of styles because following one style to the exclusion of all other possibilities can lead to a sterile, predetermined look–a house in a particular style, yes, but one with no real style of its own” (80).

Eck shares 5 principles, or hallmarks, of good design for home exteriors. There’s a progression to the order of the principles that build on each other.  He shares several case studies of homes–lots of beautiful, detailed photos–that illustrate the principles from across the nation, from urban neighborhoods to seaside vistas. (more…)

When I moved to the Salt Lake Valley four years ago I noticed, as many visitors do from the East Coast, that Salt Lake is an exceptionally well manicured place.  This, of course, makes the area an attractive, comfortable place to live.  However, being accustomed to seeing factories, trains, and various modes of infrastructure intersecting, sometimes presumptuously, with homes and businesses, I wondered where all that stuff was kept in Utah.  I discovered a path through the infrastructure I was seeking and an invigorating architectural experience by commuting on Trax. (more…)

On week one of the Clear The Air Challenge we at Lloyd Architects are re-connecting with our bike-friendly streets.  I am glad to have 600 East on my morning and evening commute path.  Perhaps one of the greenest streets in Salt Lake City, the 9-block stretch of 600 East from South Temple to Liberty Park is a great place to see from a bicycle or on foot. (more…)

Today begins one of the most relevant and enlightening annual activities in Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Front that I am personally aware of: the Clear The Air Challenge. For the next four weeks those of us that normally fill Utah’s roads and freeways in single occupant vehicles–generally for good and productive purposes–have an opportunity to evaluate how we get from point A to point B and back. I believe this will be the third year that my office has participated in the challenge. Last year, Lloyd Architects was awarded the Clear The Air Challenge Small Business Award, largely on the backs (or legs) of two of our intrepid team members, Aaron Day & Liz Yonashiro.  They spent much of the month commuting north and south from Davis & Weber Counties via Frontrunner and bicycle. At 37 miles each way, that is a considerable reduction of carbon emissions.

My morning commute is much more modest at about 2.3 miles, basically from Sunnyside Park to Trolley Square. I do find, however, that once at the office with a bike, I can still generally handle my daily trips to my typical destinations: the City/County Building, the AIA Utah office, and our local project sites in the Lower Avenues and over to the Granary District. As we start this year’s challenge, the office crew and I will be tracking miles, but we will also be opening our eyes to see parts of the City that we miss from our windshields. Re-connecting with our city from on foot or on bike may well be a bonus reward, on top of clearer air, stronger legs, and dollars saved at the pump.

Here’s to a healthy challenge!

Advocating sustainability in historic neighborhoods is often like preaching to the choir: the people who live in these neighborhoods have made housing and lifestyle choices that include living on smaller lots and in a smaller building footprint, and the streetscapes favor pedestrians over cars. For much of the last decade, my architectural practice and community service have been focused in the older neighborhoods of Salt Lake that greatly contribute to the vitality and sustainability of the city. Three of these neighborhoods provide an interesting backdrop for a discussion about liveability, adaptability and sustainability.

University

The University District is a group of neighborhoods that, depending on who you ask, would include Douglas, Reservoir Park, East Bryant, part of South Temple and Federal Heights areas. Sharing a common border with the University of Utah, these neighborhoods are blessed by the the richness and diversity of academic circles– as well as the challenges of parking and the transiency of student rental housing. The University and South Temple Historic District provide regulatory review over development and renovations, but community councils have been pushing the City to expand this local historic designation to include several blocks of East Bryant,  an area targeted for multi-family and commercial development expansion in recent years. Bike lanes in the grass median along 200 South are another sure flashpoint in this neighborhood. (more…)

In our first entry of the “Every Building Tells a Story” series, we’re featuring a project Warren completed a few years ago in Seattle.

Setting: A quiet neighborhood set on a hillside in North Seattle with endless views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains beyond. The neighborhood is home to an eclectic mix of beach shacks and luxury homes.

Clients: A newly married couple with 2 kids, ages 9 and 12. The husband is a filmmaker and the wife is a sales rep for a sweater and sustainable clothing line.

Background: Shortly after their marriage, Rick and Julie began searching for a suitable home for their family of 4. After an unproductive afternoon of visiting open houses, they asked Warren to meet them at a little cottage that Rick owned in Richmond Beach to explore the possibility of remodeling. Would it be worth pursuing? The house, originally built in 1935, was located on a high-bank waterfront piece of property. Rick had owned the house for several years and stayed there when he was in town–a place suitable for a single man, but needing some serious attention to accommodate a family.

Above: A few before photos of the house under consideration

(more…)

In April, Warren was invited to speak at a local gathering that was part of a global event, PechaKucha Day: Inspire Japan.  The Japanese word “pechukucha” means something like “chit chat” in English.  PechaKucha nights have been happening around the world since the first event took place in Tokyo back in 2003.  It’s a pretty clever format: architects and other creative people are invited to show 20 images of their choosing on any topic for 20 seconds each; the images forward automatically on a large screen while the speaker tries to keep pace.  At the Salt Lake event, Warren was one of a half dozen or so presenters that included a professor from the U, an environmental artist, a furniture designer and others.

The global event served as a fundraiser for reconstruction efforts following the recent devastating earthquake and tsunami  in the Sendai region, with proceeds going to Architecture for Humanity and ArchiAid.  Warren was happy to participate in Salt Lake City’s event because of the 5+ years he spent in Japan as a volunteer, a student and an architect.  He has a genuine love for and interest in all things Japanese.  In the mid-90s, we lived about an hour outside of Sendai where Warren worked for the Shelter company, a design-build firm specializing in large-scale timber structures.  Warren has long been inspired by Japanese architecture, as he explains in his 20 x 20 presentation:

Global PechaKucha Day – SLC – Warren Lloyd from PechaKucha Night Salt Lake City on Vimeo.

For people thinking about remodeling or building a home, there’s an abundance of great resources available.  One such book caught my eye recently.  The title alone was enough to lure me in:  The Simple Home: The Luxury of Enough, by Sarah Nettleton.  I knew when I read the description on the inside flap that I would be reading the entire book:

“A simple home puts us in touch with the simple pleasures of life:  the warmth of winter sunlight, the scent of flowers through an open window, a family meal at a communal table.  By learning to appreciate the ‘luxury of enough,’ we can delight in the simple abundance of our homes’ most basic pleasures.  Finding your own simple home reflects the wisdom of good choices, the elimination of non-essentials, and the celebration of restraint.. . . Along the way, you’ll realize that it isn’t so much the things you put in your house that bring you joy as it is the way the house allow you to revel in the simple pleasures of life.” (more…)

Here are excerpts featuring the Military Drive House from Sarah Susanka and Mark Vassallo’s Not So Big Remodeling: Tailoring Your Home for the Way Your Really Live