March 22, 2019
Juhl, a 344–residence, loft-style community that spans an entire city block in downtown Las Vegas and known for its flexible floor plans and industrial chic design aesthetic, announces its partnership with the UNLV School of Architecture for the fourth installment of its Artist in Residence program.
The partnership is the brainchild of Uri Vaknin, a partner at KRE Capital LLC, whose company, in partnership with Dune Real Estate Partners, purchased Juhl in 2013 as DK Las Vegas; and Eric Strain, UNLV associate professor of architecture. The two have collaborated on ideas and initiatives to enhance downtown livability and on architecture programs at UNLV. So the evolution of Juhl’s Artist in Residence program to include architecture is a natural extension of their work and vision.
According to Vaknin, Juhl’s architecture and contemporary design aesthetic naturally attract artists and creative types who appreciate the downtown and Juhl communities’ progressive vibe.
“As work on a future modern art museum at Symphony Park progresses, downtown Las Vegas is continuing to evolve as an arts community,” Vaknin said. “Juhl is ideally positioned in the center of it all, and given my personal passion for the arts and Eric’s leadership at the UNLV School of Architecture, expanding our Artist in Residence program to focus on architecture and design, an omnipresent art form, makes all kinds of sense.”
As part of the program, the UNLV School of Architecture is hosting a lecture series at Juhl called “Project Home,” and Vaknin is making free live-work studio space available to UNLV architecture students as they work with the Las Vegas Housing Division on an affordable housing project on a city-owned parcel. At Juhl, students will have an inspirational place to collaborate with each other and city staff while experiencing successful downtown living.
The Project Home lectures series is held 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at Juhl, 353 E. Bonneville Ave. It includes several community luminaries and regional architectural experts. Remaining lectures are March 27, Chris Gonya, Las Vegas developer and architect; April 3, Vaknin, downtown developer and arts aficionado; April 10, Rich Worthington, developer and COO, Molasky Group of Cos.
“The Architecture in Residence program is a convergence of art, architecture and housing in downtown Las Vegas,” Strain said. “We are grateful to Uri, his visionary embrace of the arts and his passion for education and all things downtown that have brought this partnership full circle. We’re delighted to partner with the Juhl, one of the most architecturally sensitive spots in town, and to make a nexus between architecture, the arts and the vibrant life of downtown Las Vegas.”
The Artist in Residence at Juhl initiative, which launched in 2016, featured celebrated Nevada visual artist Justin Favela as Juhl’s inaugural artist in residence. Since then, the program has featured a residency for multimedia artist Krystal Ramirez and, most recently, with The Beverly Rogers, Carol C. Harter Black Mountain Institute at UNLV, which expanded the program to include a Writer in Residence: Sara Ortiz, BMI’s program manager, who came to BMI after running programs for the Texas Library Association in Austin, Texas. In all cases, featured artists were provided the opportunity to live and work rent-free at Juhl.
