Intermountain Contractor’s Top Projects of 2009 in Utah and Idaho

27 Utah Museum of Natural History at the Rio Tinto Center $62 M

Owner: State of Utah DFCM; University of Utah
GC: Big-D Construction Co.
Architect: GSBS Architects; Polshek Partner Assoc.
Civil: Stantec Consulting
Electrical: Spectrum Engineers
Mechanical: Colvin Engineering Assoc.
Structural: Dunn Assoc./ Leslie E. Robertson Assoc.
Key Subs: Sheet Metal Works; A & B Mechanical; All Weather Waterproofing; Daw Construction; Dyna Electric Co.; Owell Precast

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At 161,000 sq ft, almost twice the size of the current facility, the new Utah Museum of Natural History will have space to properly house and display the museum’s vast collections. Visitors will explore 8 themed exhibition galleries, a children’s gallery, a changing exhibits space, a café and the museum store.

Located in a pristine setting at the base of Wasatch-Cache National Forest, this facility will establish a new identity for the existing museum as an economic and cultural asset to the city of Salt Lake and the State of Utah. Integrated into the natural landscape, the new museum will rest on a series of terraces that follow the contours of the site. Adjacent running and hiking trails will be restored and enhanced. Outdoor terraces with interpretive exhibits will be free and open to the public.

Anticipated to attain LEED Gold Certification, the museum will have sustainable features such as a partial green roof, recycled and recyclable building materials and landscaping with native plants.

The exterior skin will feature copper and copper alloy from Utah’s Bingham Canyon Mine. A standing seam, horizontal facade will emulate the geological stratification and geophysical processes that created Utah’s landscape. The project began October 2008 and is expected to complete in January 2011.

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