As a Vice President of Studio D Architects, he brings distinctly different styles to each of his projects, from the impressive Stan Fulton Center at NMSU to his unique home in the North Valley. Along with partners Ron Nims and Richard Haas, Jason appreciates the opportunities that his hometown has afforded him, and he works to give back by involving himself in the community and implementing visually stunning, client-driven architectural design.
The Stan Fulton Center at NMSU is a project in which Jason can see the impact of Studio D’s design. The Fulton Center has become a great recruitment tool for the football program and a visual enhancement to the main campus. The athletic utilization of the building allowed Jason the freedom to develop a state-of-the-art facility that houses an athletic education and training department, athletic staff offices, a full service restaurant and kitchen with indoor and outdoor dining areas and four sky boxes seating twenty-four people each. The prominent location of the building made form and function major considerations. “This project was very space driven,” says Jason. “The orientation of the sky boxes and the way that the south end of the building presented to the street were driving forces behind the design.” The scenic views of the Organ Mountains and the Mesilla Valley were also important features incorporated into the building design, which can be enjoyed from the sky boxes, outdoor patio and full service restaurant.
A three-year fund raising campaign headed by the Healthcare Foundation of Southern New Mexico accumulated $6 million dollars to build the First Step Center of Las Cruces. It was an exciting project for Jason to be involved with because of the support he received from the community coupled with collaboration with his wife, Tara. The facility is about 33,000 square feet and provides children’s pediatric services along with a women’s health clinic. Jason smiles and says, “Working with the community has been so rewarding. It is fun to see things change and know that I helped give it a nudge.” Among his other projects, Jason worked on the University Presbyterian Church, which was tailored to fit his client’s request to design a building which had very specific acoustic requirements. The ceiling reaches a height of fifty feet over the pulpit area, creating a dramatic space that enhances the visual experience for the congregation, while allowing voices to be heard without amplification. On the south side of the building, a translucent panel allows indirect sunlight in the morning and a soft sunset glow in the evenings. Each project is unique to the client and the space with regional accents adding to the natural beauty of the design.
Jason hesitates to confine himself or Las Cruces to any particular style. Natural light, dramatic shadows, outdoor spaces and panoramic views play a major role in building design for this desert architect. The crisp corners, concrete floors and large windows of Jason’s home hint at his personal preferences, which conveniently coincide with his wife’s sense of style.
Tara and Jason Clark met during their junior year of college while they were both enrolled in the architecture program at Texas Tech University. They recently moved into their new North Valley home where their similarly clean and simple styles came together to create a vibrantly modern family space. “We wanted our living room, dining area and kitchen to be part of one large space, but in contrast our bedroom is very dark and relaxing,” said Jason, “It was great to have the freedom that comes with a personal project.”
Every summer, Jason is involved with a program called Career Art Path, through the Doña Ana Arts Council, which enables him to speak with kids about getting into architecture. He is inspired by the creative nature of architecture and design-the ability to create something that has never been seen. He is also on the board of directors for the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico, which manages endowments for many local non-profit agencies. As Jason sits on the front porch of his new home, he glances at Tara standing with their son, Javin, and says, “An architect’s greatest resource is experiencing everything around him. We’ve received a lot from our community, and now we’re focusing on giving it back.”
|
