April 5, 2024

Just over 50 years ago, Lombard/Conrad Architects was founded in Boise, Idaho, by Ernie Lombard and Joe Conrad. From the beginning, their focus was on designing public architecture through a spirit of collaboration. They believed that great architecture is not only created by dedicated and talented design professionals but also by a collaborative effort between clients, consultants and the public.

Since the founding of Erstad Architects in 1998, giving back to the community has been important to Andy Erstad, AIA. His career is marked by significant service in state and local government, advocating for the advancement and public awareness of the profession of architecture, mentorship of students and interns and leadership service in the AIA.

On Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, John “Jack” R. Smith, FAIA, DArch, was presented with the 2023 AIA Idaho Gold Medal Award. This prestigious award is presented to architects who have shown superior performance in their bodies of work.

The Stanley Residence lays low on its elevated perch, capturing views of its mountain location.

Located in Twin Falls, Idaho, the College of Southern Idaho’s Veterinary Technology building is a state-of-the-art facility designed to recruit and educate the next wave of the workforce in Southern Idaho. The exterior design gives a nod to agriculture while seamlessly weaving itself into the context of campus using brick, glass and metal.

Hummel worked with long-time client St. Luke’s Health System on Phase One of their Downtown Campus Improvement Plan. This phase included relocation and expansion of the campus central plant building, a brand new shipping and receiving building, and the addition of a new eight-story parking garage.

Project History: Shelter House
The original homeowners were art dealers and commissioned the original Architect in the mid-90s to create a hermetically sealed container for their collection. The “deep sheltered rooms” featured limited natural daylight with overgrown trellises and fixed glazing lacking natural ventilation, visual connection and physical access to the shoreline.

Site Characteristics
The seasonal creek “Lake Creek” runs through the site with riparian setbacks. The 200-year flood line defines the building footprint, however, the building extent is cantilevered beyond — and in most cases, double-cantilevers. The “Flag Lot” driveway is accessed by a “cross access” agreement with the neighboring parcel.

As a magnet school, Idaho Fine Arts Academy (IFAA) offers middle school and high school students basic core classes, as well as the opportunity to hone their own artistic disciplines such as dance, instrumental or vocal music, theater and visual arts. With art at the center of the school’s mission, spaces were designed to spark creativity and foster collaboration. Through collaboration with the owner and users, they customized a building design driven by this vision while providing unique spaces that support each artistic specialty.