University Place

Salt Lake City, UT

OTL fountains contribute to growth south of Salt Lake City

The slogan of Orem, Utah’s University Place is Unlike anything else in Utah County; they could have just as easily said “Unlike anything else in Utah.” The property, which spans 112 acres and continues to be built-out with a variety of live, work, play options, kicked-off its current growth strategy with $500 million in renovations and new construction in 2015-16.

As part of this improvement, center owner Woodbury Corporation recognized the opportunity to add a stunning show fountain – the first in the region south of Salt Lake City – and an interactive deck to help elevate this already-iconic property into a lifestyle and retail destination. They also wanted something special for the indoor kids play area; this ended up being a massive granite globe weighing several tons; floating on a thin film of water, kids can spin it with just a few fingers.

Originally known University Mall in the 1970’s, one of the largest malls in the State of Utah, University Place now features a mixed-use environment comprised of high-end retail and restaurants, green space, as well as office, apartments and a theater. Woodbury Corporation’s vision was to attract high-tech companies as tenants in the center, and the fountain and deck played a prominent role in achieving that vision.

IDEA

Outside the Lines (OTL) worked with project architect KCB and landscape architect Studio Outside to bring the new fountains to life.

Working closely with the project’s general contractor, OTL was able to phase the construction sequence so as not to interrupt public access to the center during the build.

During construction, OTL transformed an existing basement space into electrical and mechanical rooms, providing on-site access to fountain controls. The facilities managers can control the show fountain remotely by tablet or smartphone, and OTL can remotely monitor the fountain and its equipment.

Additionally, the team custom designed and fabricated the interactive deck, working closely with the local Health Department throughout the process to ensure the vision and intention of the structure was thoroughly understood and agreed-upon by all, even before permitting began.

IMPACT

University Place Mall earned an award from the Congress for New Urbanism at the 2016 Utah Awards for Excellence. The property is located at 575 East University Parkway in Orem, Utah.