The Visionaries: Architect Craig Elliott and the Elliott Workgroup
Winter/Spring 24-25
Written By: Darby Doyle | Images: Deborah DeKoff
The Olympics are coming full circle for Craig Elliott, an architect and the managing partner of Elliott Workgroup.
When Salt Lake City hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics, Craig led the committee’s venue design team. More recently, Craig and his firm prepared the venue materials for Salt Lake City’s bid package, a task that was instrumental in bringing the Winter Olympics back to Utah in 2034.
In between these notable bookends, Craig has had a hand in creating some of the region’s most enduring design projects.
“Growing up in Tonganoxie, Kansas, I saw firsthand how a community was built,” Craig says of working alongside his carpenter father on everything from commercial construction to custom residential builds — they even built their family home from the ground up. Craig enjoyed the artistry of design and the satisfaction of creating something new every day.
Calling it a “good use of his skill set,” he pursued a degree in architecture from the University of Kansas.
Craig honed his expertise at prestigious firms in New Haven, Connecticut; New York City; and Kansas City. Like many Parkites, Craig first came to Utah for a job — in his case, representing the Kansas City-based architecture firm tasked with designing the ballpark for the Salt Lake Bees (formerly the Buzz).
Within months of their arrival, Craig and his wife, Emily, determined that Park City was an ideal fit for their lifestyle and professional goals.
“I saw the potential to be part of building a growing, thriving community in a very tangible way,” Craig says of the decision to move to Park City in the mid- 1990s and establish what would become the Elliott Workgroup in 2002. He was particularly excited about the possibilities and challenges of designing in the Park City area, where steep terrain, extreme temperatures, sensitivity to scale on the landscape and consideration of views and sightlines are paramount.
Many of the firm’s projects have been Old Town properties, where respect for the historical roots of the community intersects with the practical demands of modern living and commerce. Craig describes design projects in Old Town — such as the KPCW Radio building renovation and recent Kimball on Main build — as tricky in the best possible way.
“Buildings tend to be more timeless if they’re inspired by the environment,” he says of selecting architectural lines and materials that fit with Old Town’s vibe. “The Spur is a great example of our firm’s work. … It’s a modern expression of a historic building. It fits in on Main Street.”
He notes that one thing their firm is not known for is having a specific architectural style. The Elliott Workgroup team is made up of over 20 architects, land use planners, interior designers and landscape architects.
“It helps us provide a better product in the long run,” says Craig of the firm’s one-stop-shop approach. “Each project has many nuances that need to be considered — from the approach of the entrance, to framing views, to integrating sustainability elements like solar gains … We take a holistic approach to each project — designing with the client, within the site and informed by the vernacular architecture of the mountain community.”
One thing that all their projects do have in common is a focus on sustainability, whether it’s a small footprint project like the Woodside Park affordable housing or the expansive Basin Recreation Fieldhouse.
Craig says its key to find a site and window alignments that work with the terrain, climate and sunlight. In the case of the Snow Creek Cottages project, the site was one of many elements — including a ground source heat pump and efficient mechanical systems — that reduced the overall energy consumption.
And materials matter. “Sustainable products aren’t just ones that are energy efficient. They should also support your health,” he says. That goes for everything from insulation to flooring.
“Our favorite kinds of projects are the ones that can have a long-term positive impact on the community and can be part of the fabric of our community,” he says. “Every day we work with and for our friends and neighbors.”
