Challenge
Our firm got the privilege of working with North 40 Outfitters to design their largest retail store to date. There were two main goals of this project. The first was to analyze the layouts of their existing stores, identify areas for potential improvement, and create a design that would implement these improvements for the franchise and work with the existing confines of the existing buildings. The second goal was to combine the two businesses that once housed Kmart and Big Bear, creating a unified and consistent storefront and seamless transition inside, making the North 40 patrons unaware of the transition between the two buildings.
After opening eleven stores, the owner of North 40 Outfitters was very familiar with the design and construction processes. Because of this, and the distinct branding of the store, the owners had a clear vision of what they wanted for the design. Together, Nelson Architects, the owner, and contractor developed a design that met the owner’s vision and ensured efficient flow, function, capacity, and appeal.
Other key features in the design included storage spaces located on multiple areas of the site, a large greenhouse, a unique canopy space covering the outdoor garden space, an indoor archery range, and an exterior pole barn for storage screening.
The building also features North 40’s first Fly Shop fly-casting dock where shoppers are shown how to cast. The main challenge the team faced was creating a site layout that addressed accessibility onto the site, developed the parking lot layout, and balanced the needs of the owner while being compliant with City regulations. Since the original building was constructed, parts of the underutilized parking lot were sold to surrounding businesses. Each piece sold off required their own access point and parking requirements. The coordination and feasibility studies allowed for a parking lot design that allowed other businesses to function, enhanced the visual appearance of the site, improved access into and around the site, and allowed for the much-needed on-site storage.
This new North 40 Outfitters store is now the design standard for all future North 40 Outfitter stores.
Cost: $8,500,000
Size: 138,000 SF
What we did
Architectural Design
Staff Assigned
Craig Johnson
Ryan Smith
Tyson Kraft
