Pub. 4 2016 Directory

18 THE MONTANA ARCHITECT | 2016 | www.aia-mt.org Merit Award NorthWestern Energy Montana Office in Butte, Montana Mosaic Architecture Project Overview The legacy of NorthWestern Energy’s continuation as Montana’s predominate energy company along with its bond and history with the community of Butte are not taken lightly as the company takes steps to define its presence for the next 100 years. From Montana Power’s beginnings in 1912, housed in the ‘Electric Building’ in uptown Butte to NorthWestern Energy’s current occupation of four historic ‘connected’ buildings, the power company has been a key partner in community for 100 years. The new 98,000sf facility will not only house 240+ employees in Uptown Butte, it is also designed to change the culture of the working environment, attract new employees to Butte, and stand as a testament to the commitment of NWEnergy to the Community of Butte. The new NorthWestern Energy Office Building at the corner of Main and Park will be a great addition to the ongoing history of Uptown Butte. Aesthetic Goals Like other forward thinking projects in Montana, beyond simply providing a good place to work for all employees, NWEnergy guided their decisions through established project goals that would have far reaching impacts on the community, public education, environmental impact, leadership, and company image. Along with their commitment to build in Uptown Butte comes the responsibility to ‘fit’ within the context of one of the nation’s most significant National Historic Landmark sites. The ‘richest hill on earth’ afforded these and other surrounding historic buildings exquisitely faced in brick, terra- cotta, and stone facades varying greatly in texture and color, from dark browns to light buff color, including some colorful glazed brick. A contemporary interpretation of this brick craftsmanship along with the history of copper mining in Butte provided the inspi- ration for the design of the façade. From the Butte Flats, the view of Uptown’s texture and color as a whole, appears more red-orange. Using an attention to detail (including motor color and joint width), a blend of red colors, two sizes of brick, and glazed brick