Sparano + Mooney: Saint Joseph The Worker Catholic Church
Salt Lake has its fair share of hidden modern architectural gems, but perhaps one of the best is virtually unknown to locals, let alone the rest the world. The recently completed Saint Joseph The Worker Catholic Church is in my opinion, one of the best examples of modern architecture in the entire state. In fact, it's one of the better projects built anywhere in the last couple years. The background story to the project is just as interesting to me as the building itself. The original parish was a relatively conservative group, in a conservative state. The found an unlikely partnership with Sparano + Mooney a local architectural firm known for its modern aesthetic. Sparano + Mooney was able to connect with the client by infusing the design with symbolism until the parish felt a sense of ownership and pride in the design.
From specific details like the 12 amazing color windows that infuse the chapel with light, representing the 12 apostles, to broad but perhaps more subtle things like a material pallet of board formed concrete and cedar appropriate for Saint Joseph The Worker.
My favorite space is a small intimate chapel separate from the rest of the buildings. The interior is lined with cedar and light is funneled down into the space by a skylight positioned over the altar.
LOTS more photo's after the jump.
View from the parking lot looking into the main courtyard. Small chapel to the left, administrative area straight ahead and the main chapel to the right.
The small chapel with the cedar interior.
Inside small chapel.
Looking towards the back.
Main Chapel.
Projected color windows.
The two large concrete panels are from the original church that was built in the 60's.
1st photo courtesy of Sparano + Mooney. Additional photo's by Grassrootsmodern. See the entire photo set in HD here.
Call me crazy, but I am totally in love with these quirky little wall ornaments from Flora Grubb! They're available in gold, red, orange, and lime. Though they're sold as outdoor items, I can't help but think you could create a really cool installation inside with a few dozen of these. (You might put quite a few holes in your wall, though...) Where and how would you use these?
Jackpot!!! I haven't seen a single store of objects this well curated since my post on 
My little color-loving heart nearly exploded when I saw Emmanuelle Moureaux's portfolio. This French-born, Tokyo-based architect has made a name for herself through her signature use of color. Much of her work is in the commercial realm, but there are a few private residences that are worth checking out, so be sure to take a look at the rest of her portfolio!
It seems like the weather if finally starting to turn warm here in Utah. This summer I'm looking forward to a couple of lazy nights sitting around a fire pit doing absolutely nothing. I think this 
Another great modern house project in Salt Lake City has just wrapped up. The designer and builder was Geoff Tice, so you might notice a few similarities with the project he 
OK, so I'll be the first to admit that I have absolutely no idea what "spun aluminum" means, but apparently that is what these little guys are made of. What I do know is that they come in 4 lovely colors (orange, white, turquoise and mustard) and that because they are made of metal, they will last a lifetime.
On the surface, Justin Fantl's images have a certain sterile quality yet there's an underlying humor that seems to offset the overall sense of isolation. It's a strange combo that makes for some interesting photography. Check out his portfolio through the link below and let me know what you think!
Sooo... I guess it's like a bean bag for your yard? That's kind of cool. At the very least, the Tie-One-On Sectional from CB2 is probably super comfy (not to mention durable - it's made from heavy-gauge, water-resistant polyester with PVC lining). Oh, and it's modular: you simply tie the different pieces together in whatever configuration you want. While I love the lifeguard-red color, I'm not entirely sold on the slouchy/lounge-y look. What do you guys think?
Part of the fun of this birch plywood birdhouse is the at-home assembly - no special tools are required, you simply bend the main housing and keep everything in place with wooden pegs. Find the perfect spot, hang it, and admire your handiwork. 
Alright readers. Are you ready for another inspirational DIY adventure? It all starts in this humble little 700 sf cabin you see above in the sleepy little town of Midway Utah. Inspired, or just crazy, Calder and Starr were able to turn a lot of hard work into a fantastic modern meets rustic home. But that was just the beginning. Keep reading after the jump. I promise this is one story you are not going to want to miss.
Downstairs is a simple, but modern kitchen/living room with a nice island. I really like the contrast of the clean modern lines of the kitchen with the log walls. You can see from this picture too that the space is not huge. I'm pretty sure this is entire width of the house we are looking at.
Upstairs is the bedroom and bathroom. Again, I love the contrast of the white walls and wood. I also love how minimal and clutter free the room is. It looks like there is good storage built in on the sides too. 
This is basically what they had to start with. You can see the cabin in the foreground, and in the back is a barn. It should be noted that the barn wasn't originally on the property. The entire thing was disassembled, moved to the property, and reassembled. Yeah, that's right. This family moves barns for fun in their spare time. Hardcore.
This is the plan that architect Todd Drennan came up with. Todd also has a modern home in Midway. The new modern structure actually connects with the original cabin, keeping a nice separate but together juxtaposition. 
Once construction began I have a good feeling that a family that can move barns is willing to pitch in and do a lot of the construction themselves. This DIY spirit and some resourcefulness I think is one of the keys to keeping construction costs down on modern projects. I love the fact that Calder seems like the kind of guy that doesn't know what the word impossible means. Want an example? A two story home needs stairs right? Stairs need stair treads right? So what's the obvious thing to use for stair treads if you are a guy that moves barns. Why reclaimed wood from a bowling alley of course. 
Another example you say? Sure. Here is my favorite. What do you clad a beautiful modern home like this with? Some nice stonework would be a great choice, but that would be crazy expensive right? Not if you collect all the stone from a old city building that was torn down and cut it down to the right dimensions yourself. Yeah, that's right. I said splitting your own stone. I didn't even know that was possible.
This is the building the stone came from. 
After what must have been an incredible amount of stacking, moving, splitting, the stone was ready for the house. For all the details, and some fantastic pictures of the process, check out 
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Remember the 
Continuing with my recent warm weather obsession of sitting outside around a nice fire...
Ahh prefab, why must you always tempt us with affordable modern architecture?
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