Wasatch Live Work

The Wasatch Live Work project is located on a gently sloping hillside in a residential neighborhood just southeast of downtown Salt Lake City. The project was designed for a couple with two children, who had lived on the property for over twenty years and wanted to reinvest in the fabric of their neighborhood to remain indefinitely. The client called for an energy efficient home, a place for the family to connect, converse, refresh, as well as space to work, design, create and build.

The Artist Work Studio main level used for welding and sculpture, provides plenty of diffused natural light through two bands of north facing high windows covered by bent aluminum plate awnings, as well as a large corner window, engaging the street and driveway. An oversized steel ridge beam with rolling hoist enables the Artist to easily move heavy equipment, material and sculpture through the space. The Studio basement contains ample area for woodworking and tool storage.

The client requested a minimal palette of concrete, white oak and steel within the residence, creating a neutral backdrop for sculpture and art. They viewed the project as a hands-on opportunity to create and collaborate with local craftsman and fabricators through design and construction. Both avid fossil collectors, they requested a fossil cleaning workshop in the basement and a series of built-in drawers for displaying their cleaned fossils in the living space. They put a unique touch on the floors as the client sculpted metal fossils which were cast into the concrete, ground and polished at a key of locations in the basement and entry.