Larry Scarpa, Brooks + Scarpa, was the opening keynote speaker for the Utah AIA Conference. Scarpa’s theme, “Make the Ordinary Extraordinary,” was illustrated by some of the many projects that have won him over 200 design awards. Frequently working with vendors, Larry uses conventional materials, like Dixie Cups, ping pong balls, industrial brooms, and cardboard tubes, to create fresh and memorable designs to spark curiosity and encourage people to engage with the space by touching the materials of the work. This leads to a lasting impression because once you have touched it, that feeling can be recalled by closing your eyes and focusing on the memory of the place. He creates buildings with an eye toward innovative processes and sustainable design strategies.

Thomas Wong, of Ennead Design, the closing keynote speaker for the Utah AIA Conference, was a lead designer for the Utah Museum of Natural History. The closing day of the conference was hosted at the museum. After a tour of both the front and back of the house at the UMNH, Wong spoke about the challenges of “Civic-Minded Design in an Uncertain World.” How do you create within the context of global, environmental and societal issues? How can we extend design’s reach and use architecture as a public act to heal? Using the museum, the Edelman Fossil Park and Museum at Rowan University, and the Shanghai Astronomy Museums, Wong illustrated the exciting experiential architecture and positive social connections that come from marrying the program of the facility to its basic elemental surroundings.