The clients for this project, the State of Utah and the Utah Department of Transportation had a vision to create a structure that would invite visitors to stop and enjoy the Salt Flats. The building had to grab the attention of the drivers from the freeway within seconds. At the same time, the building couldn't become a distraction from the simple beauty of this unique landscape. The design solution was simple: create a striking structure to frame the landscape.

The Pavilion is located on the lake side of the freeway. On the other side, visitors arriving to Utah couldn't appreciate the landscape from the ground; the rest stop, parked vehicles and the freeway itself block the view. The tower will offer an elevated point of view for miles.

The monolithic character of the structure is reinforced by the use of concrete. To emulate the salt flats, the concrete is composed of white sparkling quartz, white portland cement, and white sand. The pre-tensioned concrete "pieces" will be manufactured in Salt lake City, transported by truck, and erected on the site.

Radi8 is a modern urban condominium project located at 567 South 200 East in Salt Lake City's Downtown area, a block away from the new Library.

The project includes 42 Units in a 7-story structure. Units range from 650 to 1,150 square feet. Designed around a urban life style, apartments feature floor to ceiling windows and a large balcony to increase the visual connection between the occupant and the city.

Amenities include a fitness/recreation facility, and covered terrace with a spa. The lower level will contain retail space, which can be used as a live/ work space. The units will be finished with hard wood floors and cast-in-place concrete and stainless steel appliances. The project will bring to Salt Lake the "Urban Chic" living style, found in larger metropolitan areas such as Chicago or London.

In 2008, Axis Architects was hired by Utah State University to design a new 95,000 square foot Business Building on the South side of the campus.

The design for Utah Valley University’s Noorda Theatre provided flexibil­ity through innovation. The 45 foot high theater allows a myriad of options for audience, scene and stage layout. This new black box theatre, on the UVU Campus includes a flexible seating system that can be arranged with the actors in the center with seating on two, three or four sides or as a traditional proscenium.

The main theatre has black walls, ceiling and floor. Spectators are much closer to the actors since there is no formal stage and plays can be set quickly.

Instead of a traditional catwalk, the team designed a state-of-the-art walk-on ceiling grid made of woven stainless steel cables. It allows technicians to adjust lights rapidly and safely above the 17 foot high “net”. The project also included an extensive renovation to the existing theater area, involving a white-box theater, green rooms and theater scenery shops.

Photography: Paul Richer

The H House is a modern residence located high on Salt Lake City's East Bench on Devonshire. The living spaces of the house are oriented towards the expansive views of the valley and the Great Salt Lake.

One of the challenges of this project was to allow for the views to the west, while protecting the house from the afternoon sun. A large overhanging shading device provides shade and gives a distinctive character to the house.

The volumes of the house follow the slope of the terrain and reinforce the integration of the house into its environment.

During this project, Axis Architects was asked to project a new image for the Huntsman School of Business.

The old building had dark corridors with no natural light. Axis Architects openned the corridors to the exterior walls, bringing natural light into the core of the building and covered the walls with eucalyptus, a fast growing sustainable wood.

The glass "Donor Wall" adds light an drama to the lobby. A new student project area was created to encourage collaboration. This project has been very well received by the students and faculty members.

The Juniper Point facility includes a clubhouse, swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts for a small community in Herriman, Utah.

From the inside, the structure is visually recessive and focuses the attention on the views. The roof slopes to direct the heavy winter snow away from the deck areas. Large overhangs provide shading and protection from the elements.

The exterior siding and ceilings are made of Treslewood, reclaimed from the pilings of the Great Salt Lake railroad tresle. The wood was submerged in the salty water for nearly 100 years and gained a high content of salt and minerals, which combine to make it fire retardant and decay resistant. In addition to being a recycled product and an environmental solution, the imbedded salt crystals give the old Doug Fir a unique appearance.

The simple yet elegant design, associated with traditional materials give the building a enduring and timeless appearance.

Fresenius Medical Care, a multinational manufacturer of dialysis filter and saline bags has over 1,000,000 square feet of manufacturing in Ogden, Utah. 

Alan Turner and his team at Axis have been designing clean rooms, complex building and process utilities and other auxiliary services for Fresenius for over 25 years.  This 36,000 square foot building brings the Headquarters of Research and Development of this company to the Ogden campus. 

Providing over fifty work spaces, a research and development library,  and four separate laboratories and associated support functions, this building will allow the technicians to design new products and fine tune existing lines, increasing the productivity and adaptability of the company as a whole.

The Make a wish room is the place where children formulate their wish. An International competition was organized to select an artist.

The walls and glass floor lit from below guide the child through the wish process as they change colors and create paths. The symbolic value of water is introduced in a glass wall water screen.

Due to a large reorganization of their campus, Utah Valley University relocated several administrative functions.

Axis Architects performed Space Planning, Schematic Design and Cost Estimating for this project, and is currently proceeding with construction documents.

Working closely the directors of the departments and their personnel, Axis was able to provide unique solutions which promoted privacy while integrating the elements into a cohesive whole. This solution works in part because it capitalizes on and reinforces the successful qualities of the existing building while providing clarity to the arrangement and functioning of the inter-related operations.

Photography: Paul Richer