Stateline No. 7 Architects practice was purposely built upon a distinctive vision: be provocative in thought, flexible in nature, and disciplined in execution. Since 2005, the firm has gained respect and recognition for architecture that is sensitive to its environment and creatively integrated into its surroundings. And despite working in a region lacking historic tax credit incentives, the firm has found a niche in repurposing existing buildings and leading by example. Agreat respect is placed upon existing structures that are repurposed whether historic or not. The existing building design is honored while adding the conveniences of modern technologies and re-integrating the structures into their contemporary context.

Stateline Architects core values include a belief that architecture should respond to its particular place and be a natural partner with the environment. Emphasis is placed on extending the design beyond the structure to carefully consider each project’s place, not only the immediate site context, but the greater urban fabric and connectivity. When designing within the urban landscape, the firm brings a level of commitment and accountability to their work, providing more than a glossy design. Integrating locally-sourced materials, vernacular design, and time-tested construction appropriate to the region, Stateline No 7 Architects extends the traditional boundaries of ethicality and provides contextual structures that endure, service their function admirably, and bolster the community’s investment.

The firm’s designs evolve from an appreciation for pragmatic solutions within the honesty of modernism and remain reflective of the grittiness that persists on the high plains of Wyoming. An easy coexistence of industrial, raw, free-spirited, utilitarian and Western traditions are expressed with authentic material cladding combined with unwavering emphasis on form and function in simple rendition. Design flows from processes that are born from complexity in thought and a timeless architectural dialect. Modest project budgets dominate the practice with

a design philosophy and aesthetic inspired by the unique expression of the people and the place – resulting in a distinctive regional vernacular style. The firm has a reputation for client-focused service that features creative solutions to maintain the highest design standards to fit the client’s budget.

The signature of our work – in contrast to the age of prefabrication and automation - invokes the craftsmanship of the everyday tradesman; sustainability and energy conservation is achieved no-nonsensically; and client involvement for the duration of the project is essential. An unwavering emphasis on quality is mediated with a high degree of technical competence while immense pride in our work, professionalism, surprising uses of reclaimed materials, and an easy going manner guides our approach.

Stateline No. 7 Architects is composed of up to 7 trained and dedicated professionals including two licensed architects, an interior designer, several intern architects, support staff and a rescued lab-ridgeback mix, Buddy, whose focus is office morale. The firm is consciously organized horizontally rather than the traditional vertical hierarchy which allows the principals to be involved in all facets from schematic design through construction administration. This horizontal stratification along with informal atmosphere ensures that design goals remain in focus and project objectives are obtained. The firm has a wide range of experience in diverse building types ranging from the complexities of medical facilities and large commercial developments in environmentally sensitive areas to the intimacies of private residential design.

Founding principal, Lyle Murtha, AIA has been involved in innovative projects since being a young intern with other firms, including in what was then the world’s largest floating building, an entertainment structure constructed on a floating barge on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi in the early 1990’s;  followed by involvement in the multi-year, multi-phased

hospital addition and renovation project at the Wyoming Medical Center in Casper that was the largest vertical construction project in the State during the 1990’s; and with Wyoming’s first stand-alone hospice facility that involved working closely with the State Department of Health to create the regulations by which all future hospice facilities would be governed.

The firm principals, Lyle Murtha, AIA, and Anthony Jacobsen, AIA, are long-time members of AIA Wyoming and generously contribute countless hours of their time and lend their talents to the profession through both AIA Wyoming  involvement and public outreach. The firm is also dedicated to mentoring, having served numerous times as Intern Development Program (IDP) mentors, have hosted Architectural Registration Exam (ARE) preparedness courses and the firm’s policies are meant to be a model to maintain an office culture promoting active AIA participation as well as volunteerism within the community; a model that is currently being considered at the AIA Western Mountain Regional level as a standard for other firms to follow.

The firm is deeply engaged in the community and the architecture profession. Firm culture actively encourages involvement of the firm principals and staff in community architectural review committees, local boards, AIA Wyoming boards and committees, architectural speaking engagements, collaboration in architectural documentaries, hosting high school and other public tour groups, lectures, pro bono services, collaborating with higher educational entities for architectural research, participation in local community development forums and leading community charrettes. The firm has sponsored three participants who have graduated from Leadership Casper program. In addition, the firm principals and staff embrace continuing education and repeatedly attend numerous professional development programs to stay highly informed about recent developments within the architecture profession, ensuring well-rounded architects who are also effectual global citizens.

The firm is regularly recognized in the media for their work in redeveloping structures and designing developments within the urban core of cities and towns across the region, including two documentaries that air on the public learning channel, over 40 articles featuring their projects, and several publications including their own recently published book. Stateline No. 7 Architects was awarded the Norman E. Nelson Preservation Achievement Award by the City of Rapid City, South Dakota, for historic preservation excellence in the rehabilitation of the 1886 Windsor Block Loft project, which marked the firm’s first historic rehabilitation project. The firm is also just one of seven recognized by the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office as qualified for historic preservation consultation and collaborates continually with the Alliance for Historic Wyoming and the Wyoming Business Council’s Main Street Program to promote urban core rehabilitation and preservation efforts around the state.

The firm utilizes Building Information Modeling (BIM) software and uses Autodesk’s REVIT. This BIM software is used from schematic mass modeling all the way through construction documents and coordination with consultant firms. 3D images and renderings combined with Photoshop, Google Earth, Sketch Up, and other interactive software programs have become the typical method that the firm uses to convey its design concepts to its clients. However, the firm still provides physical models, hand sketches and renderings when necessary to solidify the clients understanding of a project.

The firm tailors and produces its own yearly holiday greeting card as well as innovative project “e-nnouncements”, replica vintage “blueprint” gifts for clients, and this year will be holding a birthday party/open house for their building which turns 100 years old - all of which are designed to celebrate and highlight the architecture profession.

STATEMENT OF CONTRIBUTIONS:

For over twelve years, Stateline No. 7 Architects has contributed to the ongoing design discourse of revitalizing urban areas and of repurposing structures by promoting contextually designed public spaces and rehabilitated structures that demonstrate an accountability to the context, environment, client goals and historical continuum in which they were conceived. This combined with the firm’s dedication to, involvement in and support of AIA Wyoming and to the profession of architecture and the greater community through countless hours of fully engaged volunteerism, promotion and support mark Stateline No. 7 Architects’ greatest contributions to the architectural profession.

The firm has a passion for and has produced a trove of repurposed structures – both historic and non historic – by implementing a set of model solutions and setting a high standard for others to follow. And the firm has been instrumental in both reintroducing urban living as well as in intervening when distressed structures in downtown areas have been planned for demolition. One of these repurposed structures, T Square, includes an historic run-down structure on a prominent corner of downtown Casper that now serves as the firm’s offices, a loft space for the founding firm principal and an ongoing project to renovate additional space for a co-work office space in the difficult-to-rent basement.

Sustainability, environmental accountability and energy efficiency have always been interwoven with design for Stateline No. 7 Architects, despite practicing in a region where state revenues rely almost entirely on fossil fuel extractions and whose client base is either directly or indirectly affected by extraction industries. For example in 1999, long before it became standard best practice and while the U.S. Green Building Council was still in its infancy, firm principal Lyle Murtha was a yet-to-be- licensed architect with a previous firm and already obsessed with low- tech sustainable strategies in designing the Mobile Concrete building in Mills, Wyoming, with its forward-thinking, environmentally responsible ground source heat pump HVAC system, high fly ash concrete and conservation-minded reuse of salvaged historic steel structural components.   This synthesis of energy efficiency and environmental

responsibility combined with preservation has continued on in all projects since firm inception in a “no nonsense” fashion that includes everything from locally sourced building materials and strategic salvage and reuse of demolition items; from sub grade structures that use the earth as insulation to reemployment of historic building mass walls; to LED lighting and cutting edge innovations in HVAC systems like bio fuel energy technologies; and from on-demand water heaters to implementing the first peak shaving energy facility in Casper by exercising the emergency generator to operate during periods of maximum demand on the power grid. Additionally, the number of structures saved and repurposed by the firm represents an immeasurable conservation of resources, not to mention the preservation of our rich history for future generations.

AIA WYOMING AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Lyle and Anthony have been continuous active members of AIAWyoming for a combined thirty one years with a high attendance rate at Chapter meetings and conferences – despite the chapter’s large geographic area which encompasses Wyoming’s nearly 100,000 square mile territory. Lyle has served on the Board of Directors for the past five years with perfect attendance, a Board that boasts a balanced budget for the first time in its 70 year history without reliance upon savings reserves. Lyle has also served multiple times as Chair for successful Chapter conferences, actively serves on two Chapter Standing Committees, has participated in the most recent Chapter strategic planning session, and represented the Chapter at a recent National Grassroots Conference.

Lyle served on the recent Design Awards Task Force that implemented categories of projects to assist in diversifying the Chapter design awards program as well as encouraging submittals from members, which had seen a recent decline. Anthony has served in the leadership role as the Public and Professional Awareness Committee Chairman since 2014. In addition, the firm has also stepped forward to host numerous Alliance for Historic Wyoming and AIA Board of Directors retreats and meetings at their office without recompense.

Lyle’s work on the Government Advocacy Committee includes spearheading the Chapter’s efforts to introduce legislation to define “resident” architects, a major concern of the membership in recent years. Lyle also has been the liaison to the regional Federal Reserve Board, providing and receiving economic information on the architecture/ engineering sector and distributing quarterly regional economic updates. Lyle was the brainchild behind the “People’s Choice” design awards at the 2014 Western Mountain Regional conference, design boards that were retained and reused multiple times in legislative displays at the state capital during the legislative session to increase visibility and prominence of the profession.

Together, Lyle and Anthony on the Public and Professional Awareness Committee have pioneered strategies to elevate the visibility of the profession by producing the Chapter’s debut 900-copy yearly publication, now in its fourth year. This publication has won three national and international awards for creativity and content. Lyle has also introduced the AIA Wyoming calendar project that features member project images. For the past four years he has provided the graphic calendar layouts while managing the sales for the 1,000-copy distribution which highlights and promotes member projects across the state to the public. This project has had such an impact that the current year’s calendar is being co-sponsored by AIA Wyoming and the Wyoming Board of Architects and Landscape Architects as a dual promotion of the profession along with health, safety and welfare of the general public. Lyle and Anthony have not only organized the yearly Chapter National Architecture Week statewide celebrations since 2014, but the firm has also participated by providing building tours, project lectures, and a book signing event – all fashioned in ways to increase the profile of architects and architecture at a grassroots level within the individual communities around the state. These projects have not only increased awareness and enhanced perceptions of the profession with the general public, but have also

provided additional revenue streams for the Chapter. Both principals are also active in sourcing and disseminating information to the Chapter’s social media page on a day-to-day basis. Their latest thinking has lead to discussions with the Wyoming Department of Tourism for potential collaboration to highlight architecture around the state as part of the tourism industry promotions strategy.

Anthony’s determined efforts as a long-time Board member of the Casper Historic Preservation Commission have culminated in the recently celebrated mapping and long-awaited official designation of the Casper downtown as a National Historic District.

Lyle also served  a  12-year  highly  decorated  military  career  where he was the recipient of the Army Achievement Metal and the Army Commendation Metal for his distinguished service. This service included multiple tours in war-torn third world countries in Central America and parts of Europe while lending his expertise in hands-on building and rebuilding of schools, roads, infrastructure, and other facilities. Over time, the firm has evolved with this same hands-on mentality, acting as their own general contractor when local construction expertise is lacking and by providing field construction services on projects when needed to ensure their design intent is understood and carried through.

Through civic engagement, philanthropy, and public outreach, the firm has shared its values of place-based design with purpose within the local communities of the region. Stateline No. 7 Architect’s contributions to the profession can be seen in various media, the insurgent success of AIA Wyoming and other organizations they are involved with, and most importantly in the durable, sustainable, integrated and preserved walls of their executed designs.