Salt Shed
Category
Community Space
, Academic
Date
Spring 2024
Located just north of Memory Grove in Salt Lake City, the Water Conservation Center transforms a former salt shed site into an educational and civic landmark centered on the value of water in the desert city. Positioned at the edge of natural landscape and urban infrastructure, the project bridges environmental awareness with public engagement.
The center is designed as an interactive learning environment where visitors experience the physical and cultural properties of water. Exhibits explore flow, filtration, storage, and scarcity through hands-on installations and spatial demonstrations. Circulation paths guide users through immersive environments that reveal water’s movement, sound, and light—making invisible systems visible.
Beneath the entire structure, a large-scale retention basin collects and stores stormwater, turning the building itself into functional infrastructure. This concealed reservoir supports conservation efforts while reinforcing the project’s educational mission. Rainwater harvesting, permeable surfaces, and visible drainage channels further emphasize the water cycle as both a natural and engineered system.
More than a community center, the Water Conservation Center acts as a living demonstration of responsible resource management. By transforming a former industrial site into a space of reflection, learning, and stewardship, the project highlights water as one of Salt Lake City’s most vital and vulnerable resources.
