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Layton Checketts Bio

I was born and raised in the western United States and have come to love the beauty of the mountainous deserts of Utah to the beaches of northern California. I was born in Provo UT but my family spent 7 years living in the Bay area while I was growing up, before we returned to Utah. The invigorating big city of San Francisco is quite a contrast from peaceful suburban Provo nestled against the Rocky Mountains, but I loved living in both places.

After high school I served a church volunteer service mission to Tokyo Japan for 2 years and learned to appreciate and love the Japanese language, people and culture. Through these experiences and from other travel opportunities I have come to the realization it’s possible to enjoy living almost anywhere. I am passionate about architecture because it can influence how people feel and interact with their environment. It can help make a place more enjoyable for all people.

After returning from Japan I earned my Associates in Drafting Technology, then transferred to the University of Utah to start studying architecture. I am currently a junior in the Bachelor of Architectural Studies program. I married my wife Nile in 2014 and we have an extremely cute and energetic 13-month-old son named Wesley. I love my family and although it is a lot to balance with a rigorous school schedule, church service activities, and working part time at a local architecture firm, I feel very blessed. I am excited to be a new member of the architecture community and look forward to learning and putting into practice principles that will use architecture to build up our communities and world.