Sandpoint | First Forty Feet

Sandpoint

Project

Year

2023

Location

Sandpoint, Idaho

Client

City of Sandpoint

The Challenge

Keeping Sandpoint Active Year-Round

Sandpoint, Idaho, rich in history and natural beauty, faces significant challenges in unifying its downtown and waterfront. Despite efforts to develop the city's infrastructure, the current urban landscape lacks coherence and doesn't fully reflect community values. To address this, the City Council enlisted the expertise of First Forty Feet to help craft a cohesive vision for the future.

This vision aims to integrate the downtown, waterfront, and broader community into a unified whole, ensuring responsible growth and investment that aligns with Sandpoint's character. With the guidance of First Forty Feet and strong local leadership, the city sought to transform itself through a collaborative and innovative design process that honors both its past and future aspirations.

Ebbs & Flows

One of Sandpoint's main challenges was activating the underutilized waterfront year-round. The natural fluctuations in the creek's water levels created significant obstacles for consistent programming. First Forty Feet addressed this by proposing a transformation of the shoreline, incorporating resilient infrastructure that adapts to seasonal changes. Their innovative design allows different activities to emerge as water levels shift, ensuring the waterfront remains vibrant and functional throughout the year.

With the ebbs and flows of the creek, recreational and interactive activities change throughout the year.

The Impact

Respecting the past & looking to the future

The plan centered on linking key historical and community assets through new and improved infrastructure projects, directly benefiting the residents of Sandpoint. By enhancing connections between important parts of the city, the plan preserves Sandpoint's heritage while creating new spaces for residents to enjoy and use. The revitalized waterfront will provide a vibrant area for recreation and gatherings, while the new multi-modal Main Street and upgraded Church Street will improve accessibility and mobility, making daily life more convenient. These changes aim to enrich the quality of life for all residents, blending the city's rich history with modern development.

Sandpoint Style

First Forty Feet developed a "Sandpoint Style" to thoughtfully guide new development, ensuring it respects the town's rich architectural traditions while also embracing modern construction techniques and methods. The guide focused on building form on new development sites along with emphasizing local materials and unique architectural details.

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