E-Studio

The Spring 2020 E-Studio garnered the interest of nine juniors, two seniors, and two graduate students. E-Studio is intended to allow students in a three credit class to try their hand at taking design strategies to a deeper level. Reading from the problem solving literature of design and business, the students explore concepts that include how to frame “value propositions” and how design can “leverage” broader benefits to end-users and clients. This will prepare them to be practice-ready in design settings where the objectives are high-minded and where collaboration with other professions is necessary. The E-Studio gives students an opportunity to broaden their perspective and challenges them to go beyond anything they have yet done. To have such high numbers of juniors taking on the Utah Real Estate Challenge speaks to the courage of that class. For them, benefits of the steeper experience parlay throughout their internship experience and the senior year.

Graduate students Zach Warner and Nicholas LeSchofs and seniors Corrin Jones and Rob Lozanoff sought out a competition in Paris. It’s goal was to repurpose a segment of a defunct transportation line to enliven the arrondissement 18. It became densely populated with a cityscape that had not changed since the middle ages. The challenge here was to design and augment the public space by converting it into community platform near the historical Ornano Street, which has a pre-existing garden and restaurant (Le Recyclerie and Jardins du Ruisseau) that attracts visitors and local commuters looking for a local collaborative area. The results of that international competition are pending.

Juniors involved in the UREC Competition included Conner Howard, Jordan Goff, Kali Clarke, Jacob Mortensen, Josh Quigley, and Amy Cervantes. The venue for this year’s competition moved to a site at the northwest corner of 300 South and 200 East in Salt Lake City. The program of uses on this small urban site could include retail, office, and residential with a highest and best use outcome. Criteria for being selected include a defensible proforma that will support sound architecture, lively public realm and sustainable design. Each of the three submissions garnered strong attention from the fifteen Salt Lake City jurors. Cervantes and Quigley along with two University of Utah MRED (Masters of Real Estate Design) students were recognized as finalists and gave a virtual video presentation to the jurors in SLC. LAEP Advancement Board member and alumnus Kurt Altvater has given his consummate assistance to the students and was able to attend the final presentation from his computer. The team finished in second place, receiving a $10,000 prize.