MHTN would like to recognize and congratulate our firm’s newest advancements:

Vice President:

• Mark Peterson

Principal and Board of Director:

• Ryan Berry – Commercial and Religious;
• Cliff Curtis – K-12;
• Randy Knight – Higher Ed, Student Unions, and Religious;
• Heather Knighton – Marketing;
• Scott Later – K-12;
• Ryan Wallace – Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Municipality

Associate Principal:

• Ben Hansen – K-12 Learning Environments;
• Jeff Juip – Commercial Environments;
• Darrah Jakab – Sustainable Design;
• Curtis Leetham – Healthcare Environments;
• Amy Stevenson – Interior Design & Pre-Design

Director:

• Madeline Petersen – Director of Systems Operations;
• Matthew Hieb – Director of Temple Development;
• Vince Olcott – Director of Landscape Architecture

Associate:

• Tales Brito – Professional Development Leader;
• Justin Bowman – Technical Excellence Leader

Matthew Clinger Mentoring Grant recipient:

• Tales Brito

As MHTN began planning it’s move into the historic Ford Building in downtown Salt Lake City, we saw this as an opportunity to put down roots in the vibrant Rio Grande neighborhood and take sustainability to another level. The world-shifting events of 2020 have certainly added another layer and put into perspective what sustainability means to MHTN. Input was cultivated through a series of workshops and surveys that ultimately led MHTN to adopt a more holistic, three-pronged approach to sustainability that addresses energy performance, human health and wellness, and organizational resilience.

Architecture 2030 Commitment

MHTN has signed the Architecture 2030 Commitment which aims to transform the built environment from a major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions to a central solution in the climate crisis. The goal is to eliminate carbon emissions from buildings by 2030. Our in-house R&D teams have developed an approach to achieve this, understand which actions can be taken right now, and to track our progress.

A significant decision was made to utilize an existing space instead of building new, which from a sustainability perspective is one of the more responsible things we could do. By repurposing a space within the Ford Building, we are using embodied energy that already exists within the building. This dramatically reduces the amount of carbon, resources, and energy necessary to construct new, even if it were the most efficient building ever built.

If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that building in flexibility is key to adapting to an ever-changing world. We have embraced this idea and see an opportunity for the MHTN Studio to be a living lab, a space to test new ideas that can be easily modified over time. Energy monitoring capabilities will help our R&D teams understand the energy impacts of the ways in which we work and use the space. In addition, it will provide real-time feedback that helps inform how we advise our clients to approach energy efficiency.

Iconic monitor sky lights bring light into a central and collaborative space that is overlooked by a mezzanine lounge. For energy conservation, our team has implemented ultra-efficient lighting design strategies throughout, even though the building’s orientation with the long side on the east and west face, and the short sides on the north and south, is not ideal. Our in-house interiors team and workplace design specialists determined ways to modulate and optimize the predominantly east-facing daylight. By placing most of the glassy conference rooms towards the center of the floorplate and more collaborative and people-centered spaces are along the perimeter, this strategy maximizes the shared views and beautifully tempered sunlight.

WELL Certification

The health and wellness of our studio occupants was a key project driver and ultimately led to MHTN pursuing WELL Building Certification. The certification is a holistic, performance-based framework that measures and monitors aspects of a building that impact human health and well-being, which are focused on the following:

The space itself, with lighting, mechanical system, materials, and acoustics were all coordinated and designed to optimize creative collaboration and well-being.

The new MHTN Studio was selected for its location within a walkable neighborhood, adjacency to a variety of amenities, proximity to public transit, as well as a public green space. The layout of the studio promotes the movement of people throughout and gives employees multiple options of workplace environments, while sit-to-stand workstations encourage ergonomics and activity.

Progressive air quality and thermal comfort measures, such as a flexible dress code and providing personal heating and cooling options, ensure that building occupants have choices and are working in optimal conditions so that they can collaborate and connect more effectively. A variety of acoustic environments have been designed to facilitate different types of working environments, from a bustling work café to individual-focused and schedulable work rooms.

Opportunities for people to rest and recharge have been considered in the design of the space. Biophilic elements have been incorporated into the central mezzanine space, providing opportunities for occupants to connect with nature while indoors. Several quiet nooks, a nap space, and a flexible policy will allow for people to take time needed to focus and restore. Special consideration has been taken to offer workplace stress management and provide people with healthy snack and food options while at work.

Just Label

MHTN continually strives to build our culture, attract top talent, value diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to be good stewards of our community. Becoming a Just organization aligns with our firm goals and demonstrates the firm’s social responsibility. The Just Program serves as a “nutrition label” for organizations seeking to become more socially-just and equitable. It provides a voluntary disclosure tool that promotes transparency and helps organizations optimize policies that improve social equity and enhance employee engagement. In the process of re-evaluating our firm’s policies and procedures, we were able to fill in gaps and missing pieces that have already become popular such as an enhanced parental leave policy.

The Result

This integrated design process that the new MHTN Studio underwent by gathering input from all the areas of expertise our firm has to offer, has helped to inform this holistic approach to sustainability. The result will be a more agile, balanced, and healthier work atmosphere for #TeamMHTN and our clients.

When MHTN was hired to design the new West Bountiful Elementary School, the District asked our design team to create a school that would support learning throughout the building. From this vision stemmed the idea of creating fun space that would inspire learning and creativity. Our team immediately saw an opportunity to go consult with the experts on the matter – the West Bountiful students.

Over the course of several months, MHTN worked with the District and the school administration to engage the students through several creative exercises. The goal of this engagement was to better understand what was important to the students and how that might influence the theming and design of the new school. Through a school wide-writing assignment, the MHTN team saw a common theme of “Imagination” emerge. This theme became the building block for future design discussions.

As a follow up, our design team spent time with small groups of students to explore the idea of imagination and the built environment. Students were asked to picture places where they imagine best. Students created small-scale models highlighting what they felt was important about an imagination space. The models ranged from underwater caves to treetop nests, to desert sanctuaries. These creative explorations provided inspiration for the habitat concepts seen in each of the learning communities. This student engagement directly influenced color selection, graphics, and design implementations throughout the entire school.

One key area where the result of the student engagement activity can be seen is in the “nooks” in each learning community. These spaces became the perfect opportunity for large-scale graphics that built upon whimsical interpretations of the habitat theme. The graphics combine abstraction and realism, out-of-scale and out-of-place elements, human-made objects and nature to create a landscape to spark curiosity. The pixelated edges mirror architectural elements featured throughout the building. The graphics further shape the concept of imagination by obscuring details in a dream-like fashion. These elements are unified through a color palette unique to each habitat, creating an imaginative learning environment for students, teachers, and staff.

Multiple graphics and branding elements were placed throughout the building to stitch together the Imagination concept. Additionally, a space located on the second level is dedicated as an “Imaginarium.” This unique makerspace looks directly into the multipurpose area and offers a flexible environment for students to explore and create. Spaces like this showcase the potential of looking outside the box for creative influences during a design process. West Bountiful Elementary stands as an example that student led-imagination can lead to exciting and creative spaces for new K-12 projects.

To learn more about the full project, click here: West Bountiful Elementary School

The new Academic Building at Utah State University Moab will be the most sustainable building on any USU learning campus. Currently under construction, the combustion-free and all-electric facility is designed for LEED Silver Certification and Zero Energy Certification standards by the International Living Future Institute.

A photovoltaic array not only powers the entire building but doubles as shading structures for parked vehicles, mitigating excess heat in the summer peak. The landscape design will utilize water-wise rain-harvesting strategies in addition to showcasing a permaculture garden. Ground-source technology leverages the stable temperature of the earth to heat and cool the building. Locally-sourced and non-toxic, Red-List free interior finishes create a healthy atmosphere for students and faculty.

Responsive to its context on the Colorado Plateau, the new Academic Building is integrated into the landscape. Passively designed to capture views to the Moab Rim and La Sal Mountains, the design will harness the abundant solar energy available on the site. Deep roof overhangs create a series of outdoor covered porches allowing for the wide variety of classes to spill outside. Together with our sustainability partner, Lake|Flato, the project incorporates biophilic design strategies into the building such as natural daylighting and views to the surrounding landscape. These strategies also include natural materials, patterns, textures, and colors in the exterior and interior, helping to bring the outdoors inside.

Read more about the Academic Building at Utah State University Moab: www.mhtn.com/usu-moab