I’ve heard a few comments about the 5‑acre project across the street from Sammy’s and wanted to share a thought. I grew up around Frank Lloyd Wright projects in Scottsdale, and his architectural approach has always been a personal interest of mine. Two of his apprentices, Bin Hu and Wenchi n Shi, have recently reopened the Taliesin West architecture school in Scottsdale. They have a deep understanding of Wright’s work, including projects like Fallingwater and other designs built in mountainous and forested environments across North America. Because of their background, they could be ideal American architects and planners to help address the height, blending and view‑preservation concerns for the project across from Sammy’s. Wright’s philosophy was always to design in harmony with the surrounding landscape — integrating terrain, natural lines, and even the site’s longitude, latitude and seasonal sun patterns into every structure. Their approach could offer a thoughtful way to ensure the project fits the Wasatch Back environment without disrupting the views that make this area so special. My grandfather, Vernon Brown, was actually an advocate in the 1950s for having Frank Lloyd Wright design a new state capitol campus for Arizona. Phoenicians and Arizonans missed an extraordinary opportunity to create buildings that blended with the red rock formations of Papago Park and the surrounding desert. Instead, the state ended up with Cold War–era concrete block buildings that are neither inspiring to look at nor pleasant to work in. I mention this because I see a similar crossroads with the 5‑acre project across the street from Sammy’s. I don’t know what exploration has already been done, but I believe Bin Hu and Wenchin Shi could bring the kind of thoughtful, landscape‑driven approach that Wright championed. They would excel at solving the height concerns, preserving the Wasatch Back views, and creating something that works for everyone — which was always Wright’s vision. It’s also worth noting that Wright was thinking about community needs long before it was fashionable. He developed the Usonian Automatic home in the 1920s as an early solution to affordable housing, proving that beauty, practicality and accessibility can coexist. Michael Messenger Park City The post The Wright way appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less