Designers Aaron Wittkamper, Assoc. AIA, and Amy Reiff visit with Architecture MN at one of their recent projects, Wild Mind Artisan Ales
AARON’S BACKGROUND IN 140 CHARACTERS OR LESS: @StOlaf undergrad, M.Arch from @MIT, 12 years practicing in MN. Avid oil painter #loveallthingsart. AMY’S: Accounting @NotreDame, interior design @Parsons. #loveallthings about the creative life after 7 years on Wall Street #norisknoreward. HOW ARE YOU TWO MOST ALIKE? We’re active participants in the food-and-bev world, constantly observing what makes a place special and how design can strengthen an overall concept. A lot of our best ideas flow from discussions in these spaces. AND DIFFERENT? Amy’s a CPA/Libra and Aaron’s an artist/Capricorn. It’s all about balance. DESIGN INGREDIENTS IN A GREAT TAPROOM: An engaging, space-anchoring bar for social mingling, with nuanced moments of discovery throughout. WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT THE WILD MIND SPACE? Wild Mind is brewing a unique product using unique fermentation techniques, so we wanted to deliver a unique space. We imagined a Chelsea gallery—clean, light, and refined, with wild color splashes. Glass is used to frame views of specific stages in the brewing process. RECENT VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY: Aaron is a member of the design and research collective MINN_LAB, whose award-winning “Orbacles” installation is on display in the East Town Commons in downtown Minneapolis. DESIGN HEROES: It’s impossible to point to only a few; our influences constantly evolve. Right now, we’re particularly inspired by Mexico and artist–product designers who mix wildly different materials. RECENT BRUSH WITH CELEBRITY: Justin Vernon’s impromptu late-night rhythm session at the Esko Thompson pop-up during Art-a-Whirl. MINNESOTA RESTAURANT OR PATIO YOU WISH YOU HAD DESIGNED: Young Joni. DREAM PROJECT: Boutique resort of detached villas that recede into the landscape.
FAST FACTS
Founded: 2015
City and area: Minneapolis’ Marcy-Holmes neighborhood
Number of employees: 2
Areas of specialty: Hospitality, workplace, and residential design
wittkamperreiff.com
