Solstice Design Studio

Solstice Design Studio Multidisciplinary architecture firm shaping homes + community-rooted spaces - from concept to construction. Rooted in UT & OH. Working nationwide.

what’s on the boards Solstice Design Studio ?a designer’s studio, a series of small cabins floating in the trees, a comm...
08/24/2026

what’s on the boards Solstice Design Studio ?

a designer’s studio, a series of small cabins floating in the trees, a community center + forest farming facility on a reclaimed coal mine, a hillside home wrapped in weathering steel, and more!

these are just a few progress renderings of projects we’ve been working on lately that are getting closer to construction.

What is moderism? Think of this as a mini history lesson on modernism, from the International Style to organic modernis...
08/22/2026

What is moderism?

Think of this as a mini history lesson on modernism, from the International Style to organic modernists like Frank Lloyd Wright, John Lautner, Bruce Goff, and James Hubbell.

Shay's a recovering modernist, Caroline flows between both worlds without boundaries. At Solstice we welcome "modern" in its many forms.

Swipe through and let us know which is your favorite flavor of modern?

This kitchen used to face the street. We relocated it to the back of the home so it could open up to the backyard instea...
08/20/2026

This kitchen used to face the street. We relocated it to the back of the home so it could open up to the backyard instead, bringing in an abundance of natural light and taking advantage of the beautiful views at the back of the property. An abundance of built-in storage was added in the new kitchen, including an appliance garage to keep things like the coffee pot and Kitchenaid mixer off the counter.

Full gut remodel with an addition of a 2 car garage and primary suite - this 1960's unreiforced masonry MCM home now has an entirely new layout and finishes throughout, all while staying close to the bones of the original home.

Architect Solstice Design Studio
Structural engineer Hazelwood Engineering
Builder Nomad Builders

"So, you're in Utah... or Ohio?"The shortest answer: BOTH. Solstice is located in Salt Lake City, Utah the headquarter l...
08/19/2026

"So, you're in Utah... or Ohio?"

The shortest answer: BOTH. Solstice is located in Salt Lake City, Utah the headquarter location, and Southeast Ohio, more specifically Athens.

To understand why we've structured our locations this way, a little context might be helpful, as it usually is in designing spaces.

Solstice principal, Caroline Wallace, was born in Holladay, Utah, and growing up had not one but two homes. Her parents separated around her kindergarten years, so she quite literally had two homes. Through the Place History exercise, an environmental psychology exercise developed by Dr. Sally Augustine, she's realized this setup likely contributed to a pull toward not choosing one place over the other.

Solstice principal Shay Myers was born in the rural city of Wauseon, in the northwest corner of Ohio. While his family has been in the region for many generations, going back to the original Amish settlers, he has never felt called to stay in one place. He's lived across Ohio, Connecticut, California, Utah, and Colorado, and traveled overseas extensively, all of which shaped his relationship to place.

There's a third piece here: 2020. In addition to a global pand3mic, that was the year we transitioned from working on the construction side of large scale, high end commercial projects to owning Solstice, an architect led design build practice. 2020 was the year of the virtual meeting, so we leaned into it. The option for virtual meetings is something we use constantly today.

We have design meetings in person when needed, and an abundance of them virtually. We meet about projects in Ohio while we're in Utah, and about projects in Utah while we're in Ohio. We are frequent travelers between the two regions.

So far, this has proven to be effective for the design process. We prioritize in-person meetings when they're most useful, instead of the industry-standard weekly or biweekly check-in, where at least half aren't really necessary.

The answer to where we're located is: both. Utah AND Ohio. And it's going to stay that way.

Ready to get started on your project? Comment below, DM, or visit the link in bio to connect.

Two-story addition and partial remodel for a 1920s unreinforced masonry bungalow in Sugarhouse. The new volume expands t...
08/12/2026

Two-story addition and partial remodel for a 1920s unreinforced masonry bungalow in Sugarhouse.

The new volume expands the kitchen and living area at grade, with sliders opening to a covered outdoor room for dining and lounging. We’re also adding a full bathroom, functional mudroom and cutie office space.

A raised corten steel planter, brought to us by the Owners during Schematic Design as a way to anchor the mudroom addition to the yard, is an idea we were glad to develop.

On the second level you'll find the primary suite: a well-appointed, stunning bathroom, walk-in closet, sleeping area, and a balcony overlooking the mountainous views with morning coffee.

This addition is meant to feel compatible, not imitative and not too starkly contrasting, either. White trim, a window package that references the existing bungalow glazing, intentional rooflines and heights all keep the new volume in conversation with what already exists.

The same logic carries into the interior, where new design decisions respond to the historic elements, including the original hardwood floors and period arched openings, without trying to replicate them.

More views soon 😎

Architecture and design Solstice Design Studio
Structural engineer Hazelwood Engineering
Builder Ivan Escobar Rossi

08/11/2026

This is what the materials selection process sometimes looks like.

Standing in a tile showroom with marble samples, a paint swatch, and a lot of opinions and mixed feelings about which specific shade of grout to pair with a trio of beatiful marble finishes for the main floor bathroom in a lovely Avenues remodel project Solstice has been busy working on.

The Bianco Venatino large format (thanks, Natalie for the find!) alongside the Walden Lilac Mosaic paired with the Essence of Nightshade paint are going to be just stunning - and these are just some of highlights of this space.

We'll share more soon, as we are nearing the Construction Documents phase of the design process.

Architecture and design: Solstice Design Studio
Structural engineering: Hazelwood Engineering
Builder: T Mackin Construction
Tile: Modern Tile Slc Artistic Tile

Up close view of a minimal exterior update to a classic Wasatch Front mid-century profile. For this unreinforced masonry...
08/10/2026

Up close view of a minimal exterior update to a classic Wasatch Front mid-century profile.

For this unreinforced masonry home, that underwent a full remodel with primary suite and 2 car garage addition, we kept the massing close to original, honoring the roofline this style is known for, while bringing in intentional material updates: cedar siding at the entry, black metal, existing brick.

Proof that intentional moves, especially small ones, can have a big impact.

Architect Solstice Design Studio
Structural Engineer Hazelwood Engineering
Builder Nomad Builders
Photo James Roh

Community spaces like Fort Fisher, memorials, museums, historic sites, carry an enormous amount of weight and responsibi...
08/07/2026

Community spaces like Fort Fisher, memorials, museums, historic sites, carry an enormous amount of weight and responsibility. They bear history, including history that is hard and uncomfortable, and they ask people to sit with it. When they are designed well and kept accessible, they become part of how a community understands itself. When they are not, that history disappears.

We showed up on a Sunday afternoon with no real plan other than to explore. The interior of the visitor center was closed and we still spent over an hour checking out the grounds.

The earthworks, the live oak grove, the reconstructed traverses, the boardwalk along the marsh, the incredibly cool bronze site model under the covered colonnade of the new visitor center - all of it accessible, free, well signed and well maintained, on pathways that made the site legible. This is an example of good planning, architecture, engineering and landscape design - all doing exactly what they are supposed to do, which is so lovely to experience while out and about.

Architect Clark Nexsen, A JMT Company
Landscape Architect CLH design, p.a.

landscapedesign

"What is ICF?" Another question we frequently hear, especially when discussing wall and foundation assembly possibilitie...
08/05/2026

"What is ICF?"

Another question we frequently hear, especially when discussing wall and foundation assembly possibilities and options.

ICF stands for Insulated Concrete Forms. Interlocking foam blocks are stacked to form the shape of a wall, rebar is threaded through, and concrete is poured into the cavity. Once cured, you have a wall that is concrete on the inside with insulation on both faces, all in one assembly, dramatically more airtight and thermally efficient than standard wood framing or uninsulated masonry or concrete walls, with a thermal mass that keeps interior temperatures stable and reduces the mechanical load on a building over its lifetime.

We specify ICF when site conditions call for a highly durable moisture and pest resistant assembly and/or when thermal mass with continuous insulation is an essential part of our energy efficiency and comfort strategy.

Three photos from an active ICF construction project, showing the system up close at a couple of different stages.

Architect: Solstice Design Studio
Builder: Matt Cooke

08/03/2026

Views from a site visit walking through and around the staked thresholds of three special structures, and really feeling out the placement of each before they exist in the built environment.

This wasn't your typical site visit, as it started with a meditative journey through the dense Appalachian woods. We had the privilege of being guided through the property Mindful Outdoor Experience-style. We moved slowwwly, quietly and with ease through the site, touched spikey hair-like fibers on the backs of leaves, smelled the crisp, cleansing air that hangs around the confierous tree patches, and deepend our understanding of and connection to the undulating hills and flora and fauna on the property.

Special thanks to Michelle Greenfield for sharing your magic with our team 🙏

Address

299 S Main Street Ste 1300 PMB 92635
Main Street, UT
84111

Telephone

+18015587705

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