Congratulations to the Winners
by Cassidy Mantor
The Idaho Design Awards are intended to generate public awareness of great architecture and commitment to service with the goal of advancing the profession. This year, 36 projects were considered by a three-member jury who evaluated designs on the basis of whether they were sustainable, affordable, durable, innovative, socially impactful, and whether they addressed natural and built contexts as well as client needs.
“Architects are uniquely positioned to solve problems and positively impact three of the most pressing issues facing our communities: climate crisis, public health, and equity. In our fastest growing state, the design community has the answers and I encourage the public and local officials to talk to the local architects when making decisions important to their community,” says Anna Foster, the Executive Director of AIA Idaho.
As the premier sourcebook for luxury home architecture in Sun Valley, Western Home Journal is pleased to celebrate our partners’ achievements. We wish them continued success in building our environment in Sun Valley and beyond.
“Architects are uniquely positioned to solve problems and positively impact three of the most pressing issues facing our communities: climate crisis, public health, and equity.”
–Anna Foster, Executive Director, AIA Idaho
Michael Doty Associates, Architects: Residential Single-Family Honor Award(top), Award of Merit for Renovation(bottom)
Michael Doty Associates, Architects, is the recipient of three awards: the Residential Single-Family Honor Award for Shaw Mesa Family Retreat, Custer County, Idaho; the Award of Merit for Renovation, Adaptive Reuse, and Preservation for Fox Hollow Gulch Residence; and also the Award of Merit in the Public Realm category for the Argyros Performing Arts Center, Ketchum, Idaho.
Michael Doty Associates, Architects: Award of Merit in the Public Realm category
Michael Doty Associates, Architects was established in 1993 and works to create enlightened architecture with respect for and in balance with the environment, enriching the human spirit and condition for present and future generations. Their portfolio includes a mix of projects ranging from residential remodels to mixed-use commercial buildings with the central belief that the positive attributes of good design are far-reaching in their abilities to enhance quality of life on both personal and societal levels.
Williams Partners Architects Award of Merit, Single-Family Residential Architecture
Williams Partners Architects is the recipient of the Award of Merit in the Single-Family Residential Architecture category for Snake River Gorge, Twin Falls, Idaho. The concept for their award-winning Snake River Gorge home was to create an enclosed private entry courtyard that pulls your view through the lap pool and reveals the “Twin Falls” waterfall in the distance.
Williams Partners Architects was established in 1992 and views their role as acting as the client’s interpreter and guide to find the project’s unique expression. Their team is small and works to make the home building process as enjoyable as possible for their clients.
de Reus Architects Award of Merit, Architect as Client
de Reus Architects received the Award of Merit for the Architect as Client category for Bigwood Residence, Sun Valley, Idaho. Bigwood Residence was designed for the architect and his family when they returned to Sun Valley from living in Hawaii after 19 years. The home is nestled in an aspen grove and was designed to feel like a modern barn on the outside with a modern cabin interior. The subtle palette of materials allows the contemporary minimalist design to sit elegantly within the surrounding forest and celebrate the seasons.
de Reus Architects has offices in Sun Valley and Hawaii and offers decades of experience designing residential and resort properties. Their philosophy is that luxury architecture is an atmosphere achieved by restraint as well as by handcrafting and tailoring a space to perfectly fit the client, site, and culture.
Farmer Payne Architects Citation Single-Family Residential Architecture
Farmer Payne Architects received a Citation in the Residential Single-Family category for Sage Residence, a contemporary mountain modern home in Ketchum, Idaho.
Farmer Payne Architects is a boutique firm formed in 2017 by two former colleagues, Jamie Farmer and Scott Payne. They have design offices in Sun Valley, Idaho, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Shreveport, Louisiana. Their portfolio includes luxury residential architecture, cutting-edge commercial projects, and interior design. Their range draws on their design team’s experience that includes custom furniture building and hospitality, as well as construction. That diverse experience helps manifest the firm’s belief that great architecture is produced when influenced by individuality and collaboration.
Architect Jack Smith FAIA, Best Use of Idaho Wood
Architect Jack Smith FAIA received a special award for the Best Use of Idaho Wood in a residence for KanZan House, Blaine County, Idaho. KanZan House is an engineering achievement as much as an artistic one. Structure drove the home’s form, which is expressed with laminated wood beams that span up to 60 feet with 10-foot cantilevered overhangs. QB Corporation locally sourced and processed glulam beams that form the graphic lines that provide KanZan’s striking first impression. KanZan is an example of how the Smith-modified Vierendeel truss system provides expansive views and column-free interior spaces. The system is extraordinarily rigid and capable of exceptionally long spans in wood with a reduced depth-to-span ratio.
Jack Smith is president of Smith Associates, an architecture and planning firm with offices in Ketchum, Idaho, and Bozeman, Montana. He has been working in private practice for 50 years, has designed notable projects including the Snowbird ski resort, and is an FAIA, a national honor bestowed on just 3% of licensed architects.
