The Utah Clean Energy Climate Innovation Center project is an adaptive reuse of a 3,000 SF, one-story structure, originally comprised of unreinforced CMU block walls and steel truss framing. Located within downtown Salt Lake City, the urban infill site would typically be slated for demolition, but, instead was reused and transformed into an example of a climate-wise, energy efficient design.

Since 2001, Utah Clean Energy has promoted clean energy and sustainable building practices with the goal of educating the public and enacting change with policy makers. The Climate Innovation Center was initially conceived as a living laboratory that demonstrates methodologies to achieve net zero energy usage as well as the benefits of adaptive reuse.

In addition to providing the headquarters administrative spaces for Utah Clean Energy’s staffing and operations, the facility serves as a community teaching tool for public tours and engagement, helping inform current and future building projects.

In Parallel to the sustainability goals for the project, the Climate Innovation Center prioritizes a contextually sensitive design solution which provides a dynamic new facade that engages the street frontage creating a dialogue between old and new.