2019 Directory

34 WYOMING ARCHITECTURE .19 | www.aia-wyoming.org • Silver Dollar Bar at the Wort Hotel (50 Glen- wood St) - by Bruce Hawtin, FAIA Friday’s speakers were at the very least, inspi- rational. These fellow professionals, their work, and perspectives make us proud to work as architects. All came prepared to describe their journeys, how they mentor younger profes- sionals and how they serve the communities where they reside. They shared many honor- able attributes about how they and their firms have evolved to practice architecture, who they serve and how they have impacted their communities. Beginning the day was AIA Wy- oming’s selected WMR Design Awards Jury Chair, John Grable, FAIA. John is the principal of John Grable Architects, an architectural de- sign firm committed to architecture’s expres- sion of the human experience – celebrating life by connecting to history and expressing a deep love of craft and material. By building on existing traditions and historic vernacular, his work not only contributes to the continuum of the human experience, but also keeps the his- tory of a place alive and evolving. His lecture illustrated the use of these design principles particular to a selection of works done by the firm while providing insight to the culture established in its inaugural 15 years. Jonathan Kharfen, AIA provided a session that explored the ways in which the notion of ‘reso- nance’ can be applied to architecture. The Muse- um at Prairiefire in Overland Park, KS served as an example to demonstrate how ‘resonance’ can shape concept generation, formal investiga- tions, material selection and development, structural systems and the human experience of space. The building provided an innovative learning environment for science, the arts, and natural history. The museum is the first building in North America to feature dichroic glass on the exterior, a material that was devel- oped by NASA to protect astronaut’s eyes from radiation of the sun. Following Jonathan Kharfen was Bob Harris, FAIA. In his presentation Lake|Flato Design Partner Bob Harris, FAIA will explore recent work as an outgrowth of the firm’s collective ethos and aspirations. Established in 1984, Lake|Flato Architects has designed buildings that respond to the culture and climate of each unique place. Over the course of the last de- cade Lake|Flato has transformed from a firm with its feet firmly planted in the soil of Texas Regionalism to include a body of work span- ning from coast to coast. Yet in all their work there remains the same ethos and commit- ment to the firm’s regionalist foundations and a dedicated striving for regenerative solutions. The lunch presentation was provided by John Cottle, FAIA of CCY Architects and 2013 WMR Firm of the Year award winner. His presentation shared recent and ongoing proj- ects which explore connecting to nature and community-based sites. To get the attendees up and walking, Eric Roberts, AIA of SH Architecture provided a sketching session where he discussed strat- egies, tools and techniques that will help designers of all levels improve their ability to sketch; and, increase perceived opportunities for sketching. This leads to improvement in “seeing,” analyzing, and conceptualizing space for design purposes. The attendees returned to the conference room to hear from Charles Neer and Keiko Cramer fromWRT. This session was titled Creative Fitting: Adaptive Strategies for Transformative Landscapes - The act of creative fitting is to find of all the environments, the most fit and to adapt that environment through a creative de- sign process inclusive of the client and the com- munity’s goals and objectives. Creative fitting is dynamic and conceives of new paradigms, redefining the value of nature and the roll of humans in transforming our environment, community and cities. See howWRT’s shared environmental ethos and ecological approach utilize the design of open spaces to transform two legacy projects: the Steel Stacks Arts + Cultural Campus in Bethlehem, PA and the Parklands of Floyds Fork in Louisville, KY. This session was sponsored in-part by the Wyoming Board of Architects and Landscape Architects. The final session of the day was provided by one of the WMR Design Award Jury mem- bers, Roberto de Leon, FAIA. Roberto is a