We're hiring. Please write your own job description:

After four years Spark Architecture is getting more and more work, and needs your help. We've moved from the occasional bigger education project, and many odds-and-ends projects into the residential market. Not the millionaire's and starter-castle segment, but the +/- $200k market. Instead of frowning and mourning the quality or non-existance of those new homes, we're dedicating ourselves to the challenge of doing a better job. What a learning curve! Can it be done? Good design has many faces, some obvious from pretty pictures, others more hidden such as many sustainability driven design strategies, or the overall impact on a given neighborhood.
We have a couple townhouse neighborhoods on our boards, as well as a few single family residential projects.  A couple potential multifamily developments are on the horizon. And we need your help to make these projects the very best they can be.

How to write your own job description:
(switching into first person singular here, Sophia speaking)

I've seen incredible talent go to waste by folks being pushed to do things they really did not care about, or to work under logistically not so great circumstances. You've probably met them:

• The amazing Designer promoted to be project manager and stuck in endless meetings. The  introverted Geek expected to attend public functions as the face of the firm.
• The talented young graduate or intern pigeon-holed into cheap labor tasks instead of tapping into his skills.
• The experienced guy retiring because he's tired of PM BS instead of mentoring and sharing his experience with the new kids.
• The burnt-out newly (or almost) licensed kid that quits architecture and lives on an organic farm instead (of course that's cool too!). 
• The woman that quits to have a family, or doesn't have a family because her career seems too demanding.

I want to create the opportunity to align your skills and lifestyle preferences with your work. What those skills are, and whether that means working part time or from home,  incorporating sabbaticals, only you can say.

I'm confident that we can find great use for your talent, whether you're a design-, accountant-, PR-, PM-, graphics-, code-, Revit-, lighting-, landscape-, detailer-,  interiors-, construction-, visualization-, financial-, specifications-, legal-, or you-name-it sage (or aspiring sage).

Company Culture:
Spark Architecture is just starting to grow, so you will make a big impact on what our culture may become. A few things that are likely to stick around:

• Don't panic. I'm the kid that had to move out of studio because all the frantic panic and all-nighter heroism just made me unable to focus. A little stress here and there is good and part of our profession, but weekends and nights should be an exception to the rule instead of gold star points. No martyr mentality encouraged here. // If you've read this far you won't be surprised that I'm also a mother of two little ones, and a Yoga teacher for fun//
• Blame everyone else. Just kidding! I have a real hard time with folks that constantly complain about their circumstances or others behind their back, point fingers, or blame others. At the same time I encourage positive confrontation, which means a culture where questioning proposed designs, office culture, habits, and solutions is a good thing, and your annoyance with me or anyone else is voiced right away before it can build up into a stomach ache. Read Barbara Pachter if you're curious on how to do that, I had to learn it too.
• Live. Seriously. No count-down to retirement. It will be a challenge to put this into practice, but I get really excited about creating an opportunity to live a good life, whatever that means for you. I love Patagonias company culture - go surfing (fishing) when the fishing is good, and work the rest of the day. Initially we may not be able to offer high salaries, but we can offer flexibility. As we grow benefits and salaries should come along. 

Great Falls:
If you already live here I hope you share my appreciation for this place, and what it might become. I grew up in Europe, traveled the world, and spent a decade in the 6+M Phoenix Metro Area. I still enjoy traveling and visiting those places, but Great Falls is a great place to live. You can afford to buy a historic building downtown, or acres for a hobby farm a few miles out of town. We have great schools. Great Falls is just starting to wake up, and you/we can be part of it. We still need more bike and pedestrian friendly areas, and I'm waiting for a few more good dining choices, but things are happening. Yes, it gets windy, but we also get lots of sunshine and blue skies. Did I mention the truly un-crowded mountains, lakes, and rivers nearby?

If you're not ready to make the move to Great Falls, but live in Montana we can try a remote-work arrangement. We have one person out of state, but that is currently limited to "unsupervised" contractor/consultant relationships.

Send me a note:
Any suggestions, ideas, and interest in working or collaborating? It could be a summer internship, a part time job, a mentorship in either direction, or a path to ownership. When you first reach out feel free to include links to your work, but don't include file attachments. I look forward to hearing from you! Sophia@Spark-Architecture.com

Cheers,
Sophia

Solar or not?

During a recent Q&A session on Facebook we were asked about our opinion on solar. We love renewable energy sources, but can we afford them? The answer is YES, but note that that could be changing in the next months:

Timing and Incentives: Chinese production has driven the cost down to $2.50 for large  installations, and less than $4 for small supplemental installations. Incentives have been going down, and the biggest one, a 30% federal tax credit, is scheduled to expire 2016. As a result some people even predict an increase in cost due to a sudden increase in demand over the next year.

Side note: Consider the remaining expected lifetime of your roof. The federal tax credit can potentially be applied to the whole system including re-roofing. If you have to un-install and re-install the PV system for future re-roofing, budget additional $3,000 for that work to be done. On the upside, metal roofs currently seem to bid competitively with asphalt roofs, and have a significant life expectancy.

Northwestern Energy (NWE) currently provides an incentive of $2,000 for a 2k (or more) Watt system (depending on local availability - Bozeman and Missoula have very limited allocations). When I talked to NWE today they mentioned that due to USDA’s public purpose funding re-allocations, this may be lowered down the road.

The State of Montana currently offers $500 per resident or $1,000 per household in tax credits for installing non-fossil forms of generation. There are low-interest loans available through the DEQ for up to $40,000 (3.25% , 10 years). Property taxes will not increase for the portion of the installation during the first ten years, while the lifespan should be 25 to 40 years.  The Montana Renewable Energy Association provides further up-to-date information about various incentives, detailed project case studies including cost data, as well as detailed information by the Montana Energy and Telecommunications Interim Committee citing average cost data. The calculations below factor in electrical cost at current rates. Historically there has been a steady climb in electricity rates which if continued would make the scenarios below significantly more favorable towards Photovoltaics (PV).

Sizing
In our latitude, it is possible to yield approximate 1,500 to 2,400 kWh annually from a 1k Watt PV system, subject to local variations in weather and terrain. A less than optimal angle or solar orientation will decrease this number. PVWatts offers a quick online calculator that factors in location, angle, and available roof space.

Scenario 1: “Power my home”: The average American household  consumes just under 11,000 kWh annually, while Northwestern Energy states an average of 8,000 kWh. To simplify we’ll assume an annual consumption of 10,000 kWh and assuming a $.11 for combined delivery and supply rate through NWE for a total of $1,100/year, or $84/month. Based on local yield rates, a 5k Watt PV system can potentially offset the entire home's energy use. Citing actual average cost from 24 Montana installations  with a conservative estimate of $3.65 /per Watt installed, the cost would be around $18,250. Applying the incentives mentioned above, the cost drops to $11,499, or a financed monthly payment of $112. You may end up paying up to $30 more a month for the first ten years. If electricity costs continue to rise, that number may become zero, or even result in actual monthly savings. After these ten years you’re all set with energy for the remaining lifetime of your system (15-30 years, a value of $16,500 to $33,000 at current energy prices). Nice investment!

Scenario 2: “Energy Supplement”
Following the same assumptions from the example above, we’re looking at a 2k system with a potential 4,000 kWh production. This will save $400/year, or $33.33 a month. We’ll assume a higher cost of $4/Watt, or $8,000 before incentives and $3,500 after maxing out all current incentives. Financed, we’re looking at $34/month for ten years. A wash from day one! If you’re a long-term thinker, the remaining lifetime value after the pay-back is limited to $6,000 to 12,000 compared to the earlier example.

Side note:  Most of this energy will be exported to the grid due to the difference between peak solar production (midday) and peak residential energy use hours (mornings and evenings/nights when people are home), with weekends and holidays being the exception, which makes Northwestern net-metering system an attractive offer, allowing your system to “deposit" excess power into the grid, and “withdraw” it when you actually need it. If you are off the grid, you would have to invest in additional battery storage to make your system work.

Ideally a home is designed around the use of solar power, therefore the loads are calculated and metered to ensure that the smallest PV system possible is required to meet  annual loads.  A stand-alone system the design needs to be geared towards peak loads, which can be influenced by time-of-day energy use, and will be different for a home that is occupied during the day (i.e. home office, stay-at home Mom), versus a home that sits empty during the day. For an existing home, such a system may be a less efficient due to limited space, obstructions, and orientation of the array.  Before installing a PV system in an existing home, it is recommend that home owners first reduce the energy load. It is helpful to understand how energy is actually used within the home, as this may point to easy ("free") ways to reduce the overall load.  Further energy savings with shorter payback periods may be found by installing more efficient appliances (i.e.high efficiency freezer), and improving  insulation and weatherization by  sealing air leaks (see www.energystar.gov for more ideas, $100 invested in weatherstripping may pay off in under a year!).

When you're ready to move forward with your PV system, a quick calculation by a reputable solar installation company will confirm how long it will take for the array to pay for itself in energy saved, with all current incentives applied.   

Conclusion:
At the time of this writing incentives and pricing make the purchase of a PV system an attractive and economical option.  Great Falls is blessed with sun and wind, and I  encourage installation of a residential photovoltaic system as an opportunity for clean energy.  In my architectural practice to design homes and communities I embrace opportunities that minimize the dependence on nonrenewable energy sources and instead incorporate smart design strategies and onsite generated energy as much as possible.

Authors: 
Sophia Sparklin, AIA, LEED AP with Spark Architecture;
James Erickson, MArch, PhD with ​Architecture :⇔ design ∩ research ∩ environment


Additional Technical Details:
The ideal orientation is "true solar south", which is around 167 degrees. The ideal tilt angle is 40 degrees. A typical panel is 39" wide by 65" high, and weighs 2.5 to 3 pounds per SF. If you have lots of space poly-crystalline panels will be more economical, with limited space mono-crystalline panels will be more efficient on a smaller footprint. Last, pay close attention to the inverter. Most come with a warranty of 10 years, although some come with up to 25 years warranty. Inverters can impact the efficiency of your system significantly, especially in situations of partial shading. Some systems can be upgraded to serve as emergency power during grid failures, but the solution will look a lot different if you just need some light and a charger, or if you need to run several freezers. Thanks to Conor Darby at Onsite Energy in Bozeman for these additional tips!

Historical Treasure Hunt in Ft Benton, MT

What's better than designing a new building from scratch? Working with a beautiful old building! Just a few weeks ago I got to spend a beautiful summer afternoon in Fort Benton, Montana. After lunch at "Wakeup Cup" (highly recommended), I met up with a local building owner to walk and crawl through the 1912 J.J. McGraw Buidling. What a beautiful location downtown, overlooking the Missouri River where  steamboats once finished their journey up the river. Like many historic buildings this one had experienced many lives and additions, with more than  a few Wild West and Prohibition stories. Only a few years after starting as the J.J. McGraw Club it was turned into a theater, with a number of modifications. Currently we're on the quest to uncover as much of the original as possible.

Wanted: If you have any old pictures of Downtown Fort Benton in this era, or know of more stories about this building, please let us know!

Current Storefront:

 Original Storefront?

Some hidden treasures from within the structure:

And an old postcard (too far west to see this building)

"Architect seeks beer garden (client/owner) for Great Falls"

I may be biased through my German upbringing, with beer gardens in every village, on every farm, in every other back yard,  on top of most castles, and along every lake, river, and creek. Beer gardens are generally family friendly, inviting the community to take a break. They feature simple but fresh menus, often with breakfast and lunch specials. There are garden elements such as trees, flowers, lawns or fountains, and it's common to have a play zone for little ones. Coffee drinks and "Saftschorle" (half juice, half soda water) are as common as the beverage giving these places it's name. Office workers cherish an outdoor lunch opportunity as much as weekend warriors.

As an architect, I wish I could wave my magic wand, and turn these environments into reality. To be honest, our powers turn out to be rather limited. We can design buildings, work with banks, builders, and owners to create or update a variety of spaces. But even the greatest space depends on organizations to own and operate them. Individuals such as owners of tenant businesses, chefs and service staff impact the overall success of a project as much as the architect. But even with all those in place, a space only comes to life with us, the community.  

This post wouldn't be complete without reference to some of the places around town that already come close to the spirit of a beer garden. Machinery Row is a cool historic building on 202 2nd Ave S, and houses a number of tenants including a sandwich restaurant (Staggering Ox), a Pizza place in the works,  as well as two bars. Tucked to the side, it features a great little side yard, that occasionally  fills up with music and people, transforming it into a true beer garden. Visit some of their concerts or open mic nights, and you'll get a taste of it.  The Front and  MacKenzie River also offer nice outdoor seating areas.

What is your favorite outdoor eating or drinking spot in town? Where would you like to see a beer garden? Attached to your favorite restaurant, along the river, or overlooking one of our beautiful parks?

Check out a variety of outdoor dining environments, from tiny to plaza-filling, on our Pinterest site: http://pinterest.com/sparkarch/dining-environments/
 
Whether you have plans for a beer garden or something else, call us at  406.453.0001 , or email me at sophia@spark-architecture.com

Enjoy your summer,
Sophia

Is Great Falls a good place to open a restaurant?

You may not be interested in running a restaurant, but found yourself saying "I wish we had a (fill in the blank) restaurant". Both individually owned local restaurants and chain restaurants have to feel confident about profitability within a local market. In 2012 Great Falls ranked #246 nationally, 12.44 points above average.

Source: http://www.monkeydish.com/towns-with-potential/home; captured 1/25/2013

In other words, if you wondered why national chain X isn't here yet, they have 245 other cities to go first. Amongst them are Missoula, Bozeman, Billings (which just saw a series of restaurants open), and Kalispell. Of course those chains have additional criteria such as special markets, available sites, traffic counts, and available liquor licenses.

The good news for local restaurants is that we still have 12.44 points of "untapped" potential. If our economy grows, we will see our ranking improve. If more restaurants come onto the market, it may drop, unless we start tapping into the Glacier-Yellowstone tourist flow, and increase local demand dramatically.

How do they come up with those ratings? The Journal "Restaurant Business" explains it in their April 2012 edition. In a few words, our local average income, existing number of restaurants, and population are compared to US averages. One-hundred is average, and the higher above 100 the more promising the market is to new restaurants.

Curious about the best towns to open up shop? Corbin, KY (the origin of KFC), and Key West, FL are top contenders! Go to http://www.monkeydish.com/ for more information.

"Restaurant Business" Journal, April 2012, p.22

Provided by Spark Architecture

Merry Christmas (to you and the buildings in our Central Historic District)

Sneak Preview of our Christmas cards:

 Merry Christmas!

Invest locally, and bring even more life into Downtown Great Falls.

www.spark-architecture.com;
www.facebook.com/SparkArchitecture

It smells... delicious: Applied Phenomenology

Architects study objective and subjective aspects of the built environment. Objective subjects are easily observed and quantified. A bridge structure collapses when subjected to a certain amount of load. Phenomenology is a philosophical approach to more subtle qualities of our surroundings, and has been adopted by architects as a useful framework. It acknowledges that we experience our environment with all senses, and explores conscious and subconscious reactions to various inputs. We may have strong reactions to a place that subconsciously triggers certain associations.

The sense of smell can transport us back to long forgotten memories. It is directly connected with the sense of taste, and it comes to no surprise that it should be of special concern when designing a dining facility.

Fresh bread comes out of the oven at Model Bakery,  Oxbow CA Public Market.

First impressions when approaching the front door of a restaurant are affected by smells reaching from old liquor, burnt fryer oil, chlorine bleach, artificial air freshener, or neutral, to subtle smells of wood, caramelizing onions, baked apple, fresh baked bread, roasted garlic, and fresh croutons  fried in butter.  Careful planning of food preparation locations, as well as air supply and exhaust systems make a big difference. Conscious distribution of "smells" during opening hours such as serving baskets of fresh bread, accompanied by some herbed butter can make all the difference.



Provided by Spark Architecture

Historic and Economic Development Resources, Great Falls and Montana

As promised  in our historic tax credit summary,  additional resources are listed below. Please let us know if you are aware of additional resources.

Great Falls Business Improvement (BID) District Grants 

BID grants are available for improvements within the BID district and are funded by a property tax improvement fund (TIF) to support downtown goals. They are unique in that they are available to owners or tenants. Grants cover a percentage of permanent improvements and contract labor costs. Separate grants are available for facade (up to 20%), interiors, and residential (up to 10%). Interiors for new businesses locating within the BID may qualify for up to 30% rebates. These grants are not limited to historic register projects, and may include new construction. Residential projects can be tenant or owner occupied. Property owners must be current on their property taxes to qualify. Recent examples include Taco del Sol, Murphy McClay, subway Building, and Lofts at Johnson Hotel.


Historic Tax Abatement:
The Montana Department of Revenue provides various development incentives, including a provision for development within historic districts. Properties within historic districts can qualify for an abatement of 100% of the taxable value increase attributed to the rehabilitation, restoration, expansion or new construction for a period of up to five years. A recently approved example is the Baum Trinastich Building (a.k.a. Owl Cigar Buidling) at 114 3rd St. S.  For more information contact Great Falls Historic Preservation Officer Ellen Sievert at 455-8435.

Great Falls Development Authority 
Great local business and development organization, supporting small business and attracting large investors. Assistance in finding loans and funding, such as through:

Montana Community Development Corporation
Resource in utilizing "New Market" tax credits for medium to big projects. New construction and existing building projects. 

Tourism Infrastructure Investment Program (TIIP)
The purpose of  (TIIP) is to provide grant funding that leverages other private and public funds for construction of new tourism-related facilities, and the enhancement of existing facilities to encourage visitors to stay in Montana longer and spend more money. The facility construction and enhancement will strengthen Montana’s attraction as a visitor destination. Funding starts at $20,000, with a phenomenal investment ratio of 1:2. Applicant status has to be non-profit. Submission deadline is end of July. Historic value is recognized amongst the selection criteria. In Great Falls restorations and renovation projects such as the Ursuline Center, the Iceplex have been awarded in the past two years. Other statewide projects include museums, parks, pavilions, event centers, and theatre renovations.

National Trust for Preservation
Non profit members of the National Trust Forum or Main Street; Funds have to be matched 1:1, and can generally only be applied to consulting and planning fees, not to construction itself.

Montana Economic Developers Association
Montana wide economic development seminars. Scholarships for industry professional development. 

EPA Brownfield Program

Launched in 1993, the program has provided 2,500 grants totaling $600M in direct funding to turn physical liabilities into community assets to date.  The EPA describes sample brownfields as "an abandoned factory, a boarded up corner gas station, a run down mill. In communities across the country, we see brownfields of every shape and size. It is hard to miss the graffiti-laced walls, the broken windows, the caved in roofs. It is equally hard to dismiss the unknown environmental contaminants and health hazards brownfields can pose." (...)

Community Reinvestment Fund 
Private non-profit organization issuing loans to qualified "socially beneficial" projects.


USDA Rural Development Grants and loans
Funds for rural businesses, communities, planning, local food systems, agriculture, and low income housing repair.

Government Grant search
Searchable database with information about all government grants.


Provided by Spark Architecture

Great Falls Strength and Weaknesses

What are the strengths and weaknesses of Great Falls?

The City of Great Falls, MT  is engaging citizens and groups throughout the community to formulate a new Growth policy "Imagine Great Falls 2025". We attended both the Public Open House and Downtown Chick presentation, and have been following the results with great interest. There still is plenty opportunity to get involved. The summary below highlights a number of recurring themes. The illustrations are word clouds, font size reflects the frequency of certain terms within the published lists. For more detailed information, review the full report on the City website.


Great Falls Strengths:

All groups placed emphasis on River's Edge Trail, which has been developed in based on the previous Growth policy. Besides Recreation, Health care and Schools received positive votes. Events such as Farmers Market and Alive@Five were amongst several  lists. Groups pointed out downtown, symphony, museums, and historical assets, with development potential in tourism and growth. Military is recognized as an asset for the community. Friendliness was a recurring positive characteristic of the community.

Great Falls Needs:

 The section on weaknesses and threats includes a number of wishlist items that are "needed" , or "lack", as well as unpopular aspects of the community. Better Dining and Shopping opportunities, free parking, and alternative transportation, including non-motorized options are amongst the "most wanted" features of the sample groups. Casinos and the appearance of 10th Ave South, are widely criticized. Vacancies downtown and in other areas were associated with a lack of safety and failed development opportunities. Better support for small, diverse, or local businesses is listed repeatedly.

www.spark-architecture.com

Facebook in Rural Montana & Embracing picture posting.

To follow up the earlier post we investigated current Facebook user data alongside the 2010 census. Your customer base is "Face-booking", and waiting to hear from you.

http://sparkgf.blogspot.com/2012/09/community-data-census-or-facebook.html

While you get excited about Facebook, don't forget to set up your restaurant on Foursquare. At this point, Montana restaurant deals are mostly represented by chains. Take advantage of offering check-in deals, it's time to make it local!

Last but not least, remember that your customers will post pictures of your food and restaurant. Embrace it! Encourage your wait staff to offer taking pictures of dining groups, teach them how to make those pictures look as good as possible (freshly served food, no chewing, maybe take a quick series of them), and be amazed of how those pictures will work for your restaurant.

Picture taking should serve as a motivation to add some nice touches to your food presentation, table decor, and interiors. Customers love little details and surprises, whether it is a good joke on your menu, artwork on the wall, or Santa surfing on top of their Hawaiian Holiday Burger.

Community data - Census or Facebook?

Census data has traditionally been the key source for objective numerical data for communities. Today, Google search engine statistics and social media user statistics offer new insights into the fabric of a community.  What are common search phrases, and what are interests and activities amongst any given population group?

The graphic above reflects  Facebook users in Great Falls, Montana as of September 2012. While residents in their twenties are the biggest group of users, it is apparent that Baby-boomers and Generation-X are catching up. Women are more likely to be on Facebook, and more than half the accounts use mobile devices.

Studying social media and search data closely can reveal new marketing strategies, define opportunities in a business plan, and assist communities and organizations to engage their residents and members in meaningful ways.

Traditional data is still relevant. While it may not be as current, it provides a broader view of the population, and originates from an established reliable source. The Great Falls Development Authority is a good source for population data on their website. Current data on tourism is provided by the University of Montana. 



www.spark-architecture.com