Martin Gardner Architecture, P.C.

Take a look at the historic Marion Masonic Temple! Built in 1895, it is a standout piece of history in Uptown Marion! It is home to Marion Masonic Lodge #6 and Lush Puppy Boutique in the storefront below.

As part of the Marion Facade Revitalization Project that started back 2016, MGA was happy to help in the process to restore the front facade of the building through brick and window replacement, as well as a recently completed full restoration of the storefront found on the ground level! MGA has also designed a new kitchen and elevator for the building.

MGA values and understands the importance of our historic buildings and through these projects we can help breathe new life into our communities through these revitalization programs!

MGA wants to give a huge congratulations to Lush Puppy Boutique on their ribbon cutting this afternoon! Members of the MGA team were happy to attend and witness yet another business officially open it's doors in Uptown Marion. We were happy to assist Lush Puppy Boutique with their permit drawings as well as the restoration of their storefront on this historic building.

If you're in the Uptown Marion area and need some supplies for your fur babies, make sure to stop by!

What an amazing turnout for the 27th annual Chamber BizMix Block Party! The MGA staff was happy to attend and help run this event again this year, we had a blast!

A special thank you to everyone who made this event possible and all of our attendees, we can't wait for next year!

The annual Chamber BizMix Block Party is staring in just under an hour! 🎉

Who will we see? Let us know if you’re attending below!

Marion Chamber of Commerce

🎉Attention, Marion Community!🎉

Your chance to leave a lasting mark in the heart of Marion is here! 🏢🌟Central Plaza bricks offer a unique opportunity to permanently memorialize your connection to our vibrant city. For just $100 each, you can sponsor a commemorative brick that will become a permanent feature around the Depot and fire pits in Marion’s Central Plaza.

Here’s what you need to know:

Custom Inscriptions: Personalize your brick with up to three lines of text, each with a 13-character limit. Whether it’s celebrating family milestones or honoring loved ones, your inscription will be etched into Marion’s history.

Approval Process: All inscriptions are subject to approval, ensuring that they align with the spirit of our community.

Construction Update: Central Plaza is currently under construction in City Square Park, and we anticipate completion by December.

👉Learn More: Visit our website for detailed information about the brick campaign, including an order form and online payment options. http://www.cityofmarion.org/plazabricks

⏰Deadline: Don’t miss out! The last day to participate is August 11, 2024.

Let’s make Central Plaza in Uptown Marion a place where memories are etched in stone! 🌟

🎉It's Birthday Time!!! 🎉

Today we would like to extend our very own Sarah, a Senior Project Architect here at MGA, all the birthday wishes. We hope that your day is spent with those close to you and filled with excitement!

Please join us in wishing Sarah a happy birthday! 🎂

Members of Martin Gardner Architecture were excited to go visit the The Marion Chocolate Shop yesterday after their ribbon cutting to experience their new space! A big congratulations goes out to the owner Ben and his team. We were happy to do permit drawings for them and are excited to see their business continue to grow!

It's that time of the year again! The 27th annual Chamber BizMix Block Party is right around the corner! Join us next week for some fun and a great amount of networking here in Uptown Marion.

See the information for the block party below!

Marion Chamber of Commerce

MGA wishes everyone a very happy Independence Day and wants to remind all our followers to stay safe as you celebrate our country’s independence!

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While it might be a little dreary outside this morning, MGA would like to highlight a project we completed back in 2017 that we think would be a great spot to add to your summer destination list!

This hidden gem along the Great River Road in Lansing, Iowa boasts stunning Mississippi River views and a treasure trove of history. The Driftless Education & Visitor Center, a project MGA was proud to have been a part of, brings the region's unique culture and natural beauty to life through a variety of exhibits. This, three-story, 10,000-square-foot, building perfectly embraces the beautiful Driftless Area region.

Have you visited the Driftless Center yet? Let us know in the comments! We can't recommend it enough!

Allamakee County Conservation

We are back again for another employee perspective on our Responsible Time Off or RTO policy! We are seeing great utilization of the policy since its implementation earlier this year and love being able to help give our employees a healthy work-life balance. Today we are hearing from our Graphic Designer, Dakota, on his thoughts on RTO!

"RTO has been a huge positive ever since I joined the team. While I don't travel much, recently we were able to take some time to visit our family cabin in Nebraska for my brother's wedding. Being able to take the time to do that, visit our friends and goddaughter back in Wisconsin, and even just take a day off to relax without worrying about the stress of managing PTO and sick time has been an amazing experience."

This past week the Leadership Team at MGA has been down in Arizona for the annual Leadership Retreat where they not only continued to work to improve the firm overall, but also had a little bonding time with each other!

Woof! Woof! 🐕

Today is National Take Your Dog to Work Day! We are big puppy lovers here at Martin Gardner Architecture and love having our dog friends here in the office.

Meet Chip and Dana who joined us today! They are such hard workers 🐶

A new public bidding opportunity is open for interested and qualified contractors!

Fremont Township Memorial Hall in Atkins, IA is looking to get repairs made on their building after damage from the Derecho. The state approved scope changes to include ADA upgrades for the building, paths of travel, and parking.

Interested parties can find more information at the link here:

https://www.martingardnerarch.com/fremont-township-memorial-hall-derecho-repairs/

Our Project Architect, Bethany, and summer intern, Braeden, were thrilled to check out the progress on the Anamosa Downtown Revitalization project yesterday! This project is continuing to breathe new life into the heart of the city, and we can't wait to see the final results.

A special thank you to Peak Construction Group Inc for your work so far!

At MGA, we understand the importance of growing in your field and gaining expertise from the professionals on a national or even international scale.

This week, our Chief Operating Officer, Justin, is attending the SDA EdSymposium24 Conference in Colorado where he can connect with members in his field and hear from professionals on design firm management and human resource practices!

Let's keep the birthday celebrations going! 🎂 Today MGA celebrates the birthdays of both our Graduate Interior Designer, Caitlyn, and one of our Architects, David!

We hope that both of them have a wonderful day! Please join us in wishing the both of them a very happy birthday! 🎉

🥳It's time to celebrate!!🥳

Today MGA would like to wish our very own BIM Overlord and Senior Project Manager, Mike, a very happy birthday! Please join us in wishing Mike a wonderful day.🎉

MGA was excited to be Hole Sponsor for this amazing event! Our Business Development Manager, Mark, was hoping to get a hole in one, but it seems his golfing skills were not quite "up to par!"

We are always willing to help out members of our community and a special thank you to the team over at Four Oaks for hosting and their dedication to helping members of the community!

MGA is excited to announce that the second Rise Ltd. Group Home in Oelwein is nearing completion!

MGA takes pride in creating accessible spaces. This new home boasts ADA-compliant features throughout to provide those with varying disabilities to live comfortably and thrive. A special thank you to Steege Construction, Inc., Inc for their amazing work!

Today MGA's office is closed while we take a today to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Happy Memorial Day!

Today MGA congratulates Architect, Derek Powers on reaching his 10-year anniversary milestone with the company! Thank you goes out to Derek for all his hard work, and we can't wait to collaborate with you more for many years to come.

Join us in giving congratulations to Derek!

The Responsible Time Off Policy at MGA is designed to help employees balance their personal lives with work, and of course have some fun in there as well! Today we hear from Derek, one of our Architects, on his thoughts on the policy.

"I love music, especially going to concerts. MGA having an RTO policy makes it so much easier to carve time out to travel to see a show. Not having to worry about getting home on a weeknight in time for work the next day, and feeling rested and energized for the rest of the week makes a huge difference."

Today MGA welcomes back Braeden! We're thrilled to have you rejoin the MGA team for your second summer internship. We can't wait to collaborate with you again and watch you continue to grow and develop these next few months!

Today is the Marion Art Festival in Uptown Marion! Make sure to come over and take a look at a wide arrange of creative pieces from all around the midwest. As part of our annual tradition, members of MGA staff joined in the festivities yesterday and made our own side walk chalk art.

If you’re at the festival today, make sure to go check it out!

🎉It's party time!!🎉

MGA would like to wish a very happy birthday to our Chief Operating Officer, Justin as he celebrates his 40th! We hope that you have a wonderful day. Please help us in wishing Justin a happy birthday!

This past weekend, MGA was excited to visit Gedney Bakery & Coffeehouse in Independence, Iowa to help celebrate their grand opening! We were excited to assist the business with permit drawings and their plan layout and are happy to see the outcome.

If you are in Independence or just passing through, stop by and check them out! Dakota, our Graphic Designer, highly recommends their Honey Garlic Butter Croissants!

MGA is excited to announce that a new public bidding opportunity is available for any qualified and interested contractors!

The Central Rivers AEA Board presents this proposed project consisting of removal of existing paving, curbs, sidewalks, and installing of the same. To find out more information, follow the link here: https://createsend.com/t/r-5A3F4223C97768792540EF23F30FEDED

Today at MGA we celebrate National Small Business Day! Small, locally owned businesses are the heart and soul of our communities, and we always should try to celebrate them when possible. Take a moment today or this weekend to visit and support a local business. We've tagged some here below in the Marion square area that are worth checking out!

Uptown Snug, the hip-stir, Crab Attack Seafood Kitchen & Bar, Brick Alley Pub & Sports Bar,The Marion Chocolate Shop, Frydae

Today at MGA, Architect, Bethany Jordan, was interviewed by KCRG-TV9 for their 5pm broadcast where they discussed lightning protection systems as part of their story on two houses in Iowa that caught fire due to lightning strikes.

Thanks to KCRG for reaching out to us to help provide insight on these systems!