In July we introduced a new modern home project in downtown Salt Lake called House 2. This week we will start covering another modern project located in the Sugarhouse area of SLC. Dubbed ul[1] it is designed by Rich Assenberg of KT814 and will be built by Benchmark Modern. The house is is centered around a rear facing courtyard that includes a gorgeous reflection pond. Construction is well underway and slated to be completed this fall. It's exciting to see the modern scene flourishing in Utah!

More pictures as well as an introduction from the architect after the jump.

UL[1] House Stats:

- 1,750 Habitable Square Feet.

- 480 Square feet detached Garage.

- 2 bed, 2 1/2 bath, office.

- Lot size = 45 feet x 125 feet.

This House was designed for a longtime friend. We had been looking for a lot in the up and coming neighborhood of the Salt Lake 9th and 9th area for a period of 3 years. This area is extremely competitive for vacant land and building small modern homes is beginning to be the trend. This has been going on in other metropolitan areas for years but we are seeing an increasing demand for this type of product in SLC for which there is few to choose from. I believe we are raising the standard for this building type in the area and am very excited to see it being constructed.

The lot is on a very busy street and is close to shopping, train tracks, the University, etc. The owner wanted to live in an area where he can minimize time spent in a car and can easily ride his bike or walk to the surrounding amenities. He lives a very simple life with few material belongings, The floor plan reflects this minimal lifestyle and is very progressive in its spacial planning. The lot has an unattractive apartment building to either side and the starting point of planning became how to give the house a strong relationship to the exterior with maximum privacy from the neighbors. The solution was to use a site wall extending from the house out into the lot, the same strategy was used for the garage.

The result became a private courtyard at the rear yard with full glazing from the kitchen, living dining area out to the private deck and reflecting pool.

Another Strong planning strategy was to have a double height space in the middle of the house. This allowed the (2) bedrooms to be separated by a void, each bedroom has a private bath so essentially we created (2) private suites. The house is not necessarily intended to be used by a family, but rather a single couple or a bachelor scenario. The double height space also acts as a chimney to remove all the hot air from the house with a 4' x 4' electric venting skylight. This in combination with high insulation values, cantilevers over large glazing areas and intelligent window placement we expect to see very few days where we have to use air conditioning. The house achieved Gold LEED standards but the owner opted for spending the additional 5-6 thousand in other areas instead of the LEED testing and registration fees. You will find a strong modern vocabulary in this house which is appropriate for the urban setting, the materials and construction methods are a result of the budget and the clients aesthetic taste.

First Floor

Second Floor