Pub. 6 2018 Directory

26 THE MONTANA ARCHITECT | 2018 | www.aia-mt.org Mountains Walking Brewery Ensitio Architecture Bozeman, Montana B o zeman’s north side has been home to breweries since 1895. Today, this quiet side of town is filled with restaurants, bak- eries and yes, more breweries; the newest being Mountains Walking Brewery and Pub. Ensitio Architecture was tasked with turning an existing 10,000 square foot warehouse into a brewery, tasting room and a full kitch- en without disrupting the eclectic nature of both the industrial and residential neighborhood. The overall design concept was to use humble materials in a func- tional way with subtle details. This addresses construct ability and produces a sense of honesty in the building. The warehouse lent itself beautifully to the brewery side of the operation. Exterior building modifications were minimal and the building was left mostly intact. The siding was painted, and three di- lapidated sectional doors were replaced with day-lighting windows allowing a glimpse into the interior. The challenge came in creating a warm and inviting pub within the cavernous building. The interior concept became a box within a box. The building has high ceilings so an interior wooden jewel box was created within the existing building. The single box defines all of the tasting room spaces and organizes the circulation from the entry to seating area and on to the kitchen. The box is also used to lower the ceiling to a comfortable scale and reduce reverberation and noise. The pub area contains various types of seating: bar, booths, banquet tables, high tops and low tops. The tables and bar are made from reclaimed lumber and the booths are made from standard grade structural plywood. The light fixtures are largely invisible but emit controlled and intimate lighting. At the north wall of the pub, beyond the glazing, the architects creat- ed an intimate garden with twenty-five foot tall aspen trees, bordered with a rough cedar fence. The fence blocks the view of parking and reflects sun into the space in the afternoon. Also, along the north wall, a low awning spans from the pub to the garden. The high top tables under the awning creates intimate seating at the tallest portion of the building. The awning also serves to bounce light deep into the space. The brewery itself was built to be scaled and has already been expand- ed. What makes it unique is the inclusion of a special room created for Honorable Mention Design Award