Utah County Architecture Firm’s Top Ten Reasons to Celebrate

As we look back at the past year, we at Curtis Miner Architecture find ourselves full of gratitude for all our activities and accomplishments. Here are our top ten reasons for celebrating 2018:

1. Two Decades Strong

In November, CMA celebrated our 20th birthday. From humble beginnings in Curtis and Janine Miner’s unfinished basement in 1998 to a staff of over 30 people and an office space expansion, we really have come a long way. Curtis Miner Architecture was founded on the ideals of “Excellent Design and Outstanding Service” and we look forward to remaining true to those principles for the next 20 years and beyond.

2. Six Architecture Awards

We are honored to be the recipient of six prestigious awards this year!

• Ken Garff Volkswagen, Most Outstanding Project – Renovation Under $10 Million, Utah Construction & Design Magazine
• Creekside Senior & Assisted Living Center, Senior Living by Design, Argentum
• Ken Garff Corporate Office Remodel, Award of Merit, Interior/Tenant Improvement, ENR Mountain States
• Lindon Public Safety, Honor Award, Design, Excellence in Masonry Design
• Ken Garff Porsche Audi, Award of Merit, Design, Excellence in Masonry Design
• Jay Taggart, CMA, Architectural Firm of the Year Award, CCIM Excellence Awards

3. Project Milestones

Many of CMA’s projects saw milestones in 2018: from project completion to awards. Here are a few project achievements:

Deseret First Credit Union Operations Center proudly opened their doors in West Valley in 2018. The $13 million, 60,000 S.F. center includes a two-story grand entry with circular staircase, high-performance training and conference rooms, open work area, common core amenities, employee cafeteria, and employee fitness center. DFCU Operations Center was awarded a 2019 Excellence in Masonry Design Citation Award.

CMA completed both the site plan and building design for the Creekside Senior Living Community in Bountiful, Utah. This 118,604 S.F., $16.2 million health care facility is designed for both short- and long-term care. It incorporates 129 units and 143 beds, food service, and several amenities, including an outdoor fishing pond. Creekside was awarded a 2019 Excellence in Masonry Design Merit Award.

American Heritage High School takes CMA back to our humble beginnings – American Heritage School’s main building was our first project!  The recently completed new High School Phase 1 Athletic Wing is in American Fork. The $56 million, 257,527 S.F. facility includes two gyms, locker rooms, weight rooms, a dance room, and storage. Outdoor athletic facilities include the Patriots Plaza as well as spaces for track and field, football, soccer, lacrosse, rugby, baseball, softball, tennis, concessions, restrooms, storage, and parking. American Heritage High School was awarded a 2019 Excellence in Masonry Design Honor Award.

4. CMA Family Additions

In 2018, CMA proudly welcomed seven new members to our family:

In August, Carlos Garcia joined us as a Senior Drafter. Carlos holds a B.S. in Construction Management from Brigham Young University. An aficionado in many trades, he boasts skills in BIM, 3D modeling, graphic design, project management, and estimating.

Our Intern Drafter, Christopher Thompson, joined us in May. Prior to that, he owned and managed QuickDraw Construction for seven years before deciding to go to back to school. He is currently pursuing his Master’s in architecture.

In May, we welcomed Robert Lusk, as a Senior Drafter. If it can be drawn or modeled, Robert’s your man! Robert is attending the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business, pursuing a BS in Business Administration.

Maraia Vosaki joined us in June as Assistant Office Manager. Maraia brings six years of event planning and a drive to get things done for our office management team.

Jaron Harral joined us in March as a Senior Drafter. Jaron is skilled at research and also brings a wealth of experience in 3D modeling, particularly creating custom elements.

In February, we welcomed Hsiuwen Summers, a drafter who focuses on detailing drawings and creating 3D models. Hsiuwen holds a BS in Construction Engineering and a Master’s in Architecture from Universities in her birth country of Taiwan.

Sam Lopez joined us in January as a Drafter. Sam is pursuing his degree at the University of Utah. He brings his skill in Revit, AutoCAD, Lumion, and 3DS Max.

5. Newly Licensed Professional

Welcome to the ranks of Architect status to Scott Bingham!

Scott Bingham, AIA, NCARB, earned his license in March. Scott is a Project Architect specializing in guest experience design for retail, educational hospitality and multi-family housing architecture.

6. CMA Family Milestones

Happy five-year “workaversary” to Lynn Davies! In December, we celebrated Lynn’s awesome project management (and recipe connoisseur) skills.

In May, we celebrated Dallas Nelson’s ten-year anniversary. We appreciate Dallas’s strong design philosophy and technical skills, and his calm and easy demeanor.

March found us celebrating Merrill Roberts’s five-year anniversary. Merrill has a strong knowledge of design standards, patience in training others, and drive to get things done.

7. Company Culture

At CMA, we know that having fun together helps us work more efficiently together. Here are some of our 2018 festivities:

• We celebrated Cinco De Mayo with our annual Pinewood Derby and pot luck lunch in the CMA commons area.
• To celebrate some fun in the sun, we took an entire day off in the summer to attend Lagoon with our families and office friends.
• To get into the thrill of Halloween, we had our annual Pumpkin Carving Contest where employees let their spooky creativity ideas take flight. This year, our theme for the contest was “Gothic Architecture” and everyone definitely let their imaginations run wild.
• To honor the season of thanks, we had our CMA Harvest Lunch, another annual tradition. Everyone in the office created a yummy dish to contribute. Some of our delectable dishes included smoked turkey, candied pecan sweet potatoes, and homemade French macarons.
• For the first time in 2018, we kicked off the holly jolly season with an Ugly Sweater Contest. Employees put forth their best effort to create the most bizarre and notable sweaters around.
• To continue with the merriment of the holidays, our Annual Christmas Party was a fun and cozy gathering at the Sundance Mountain Resort where folks enjoyed warm mugs of goodness from the yummy hot chocolate station, delved into delicious food from a customized dinner buffet, and participated in Christmas themed get-to-know-you activities.

8. CMA Laugh-In

At CMA, we value humor. We work together to keep things light. Here are some of our favorite witticisms heard around the office:

“Every time I turn around they are adding cost to this project.” “So stop turning around!”

While trying to get around an exit requirement in the building code: “I know that it doesn’t comply with the Common Path Travel Distance, but what about the Uncommon Path Travel Distance?”

Referring to allocating resources to workload: “Do you want to see how sausage is made?”

And … in an online review of Parkway Lofts Apartments in August 2017: “This place and Lebron James have one thing in common. They’re both in the top 5 of God’s greatest creations” – Carson Gilbert.

9. Office Renovation

In May, we expanded our office space, adding 1,655 SF and remodeling 455 SF. The remodel added several workstations and increased “CMA Commons,” our common gathering area.

10. Thank you to All

Thank you to our talented and dedicated staff, inspiring clients, capable contractors and others who have helped us during the past year!