A Way of Working

“A great building must begin with the unmeasurable, and in the end, be unmeasurable.”

—Louis Kahn

The presented works celebrate the conception of ideas in the design process of Sparano + Mooney Architecture, a collective of architects, artists and craftspeople in the American West.

The constructs exhibited are exemplary of those that guide the creation of projects throughout the region. Their formation springs from rigorous critical thinking and an unwavering commitment to a concept-driven design process in creating architecture. With each project, the practice examines new expressions to harmonize a regulating concept within the conditions of the site, program, inhabitants and fundamental systems. While anchoring each work in its specific circumstance, these constructs produce architecture that transcends convention.

These objects ultimately become built, conceptual manifestations of core ideas guiding an exploration of scale, material, form and details. They serve as a point of departure through which a central, foundational idea is embodied. As stand-alone works, these devices are separate from – yet inextricably grounded in – the resulting architecture.

Established in 1997 by John Sparano, FAIA, and Anne Mooney, FAIA, LEED AP, the practice has been consistently recognized for design excellence, has received over 50 design and honor awards, and has been featured in publications and exhibitions internationally. Sparano + Mooney Architecture was named the 2017 American Institute of Architects Western Mountain Region Architectural Firm of the Year and the 2013 American Institute of Architects Utah Architectural Firm of the Year. A monograph of the firrm’s work has been published by Hatje Cantz (Berlin: 2022).