"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

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.

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