As we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, we have a meaningful opportunity to pause and reflect on the remarkable foundation laid by the nation’s founders. Their vision was not merely to create a new government, but to establish a nation built on enduring principles—including the unalienable rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Those freedoms, set forth in the Declaration of Independence and protected through the Constitution, helped make possible the extraordinary prosperity and opportunity we enjoy today.
Across generations, Americans have used that liberty to start businesses, build communities, invent new technologies, educate families, improve cities, and contribute to a nation that continues to grow and renew itself. The success we enjoy today did not happen by accident. It was made possible by a system that protects initiative, rewards effort, encourages innovation, and allows ordinary people to do extraordinary things.
At Wright Engineers, we are especially grateful for the opportunity to participate in that ongoing American story—designing buildings, supporting communities, helping clients bring ideas to life, and working alongside talented people who are building the future. As we celebrate 250 years of America, we honor the freedoms we inherited, the responsibilities that come with them, and the opportunity each of us has to contribute in our own way to the continued promise of this great nation.
KILN OPENS NEW COWORKING HUB IN BEND, OREGON
Kiln is now open in Bend, Oregon’s Old Mill District, bringing a new coworking and lifestyle hub to the area. The 43,000-square-foot renovation was designed to support more than 500 professionals, entrepreneurs, remote workers, and growing teams with flexible workspaces, private offices, conference rooms, content creation studios, wellness amenities, event space, and communal lounges.
Kiln reflects the continued evolution of the modern workplace—combining productivity, flexibility, community, and wellness under one roof. Amenities include podcast and video studios, theater space, refresh rooms, fitness and wellness areas, phone booths, and a variety of work settings ranging from drop-in desks to larger office suites.
MiNT Architecture of Sandy, Utah is the project architect. Wright Engineers is proud to have provided structural engineering services for this dynamic project and to continue supporting Kiln on several locations as they grow across the U.S.
SNOW LOAD SURPRISE: WHY THE NEW CODE MAY HIT HARDER THAN EXPECTED
Code-prescribed snow loads are changing, and in some places they are changing dramatically. Many jurisdictions have only recently adopted the 2024 International Building Code (IBC), so engineers are just now beginning to design projects under these new requirements. That means architects, builders, developers, and owners may be encountering these new snow-load provisions for the first time on current projects.
The 2024 IBC includes a new approach for determining design snow loads, intended to make buildings more consistently reliable across the country. But the practical result is that some projects may now be assigned much higher snow loads than design teams are used to seeing. In some locations the change may be modest. Some locations that previously had little or no snow-load requirement may now have one. In regions where rare extreme storms could result in massive, heavy dumps of snow, the new code-prescribed loads can be surprisingly high.
That matters because higher snow loads affect roof framing, truss sizes, beam depths, column loads, foundations, connection design, and even whether certain building systems remain practical or cost-effective. In some cases, the change may materially affect construction cost, coordination, and early design decisions.
The takeaway is simple: don’t assume the snow load on your next project will be the same as it was on your last one. Before locking in budgets, roof systems, framing depths, or architectural concepts, the design team should confirm the applicable snow load under the adopted code and local amendments. Snow may not be the first thing that comes to mind in temperate places like Nevada, Arizona, California, Texas, or Georgia, but under the new code, it may deserve a much earlier seat at the table.