Commercial Architecture | Distillery Design | Adaptive Re-Use
Inglewood, CA
Completed: 2014
Project Description
When home-brewer Lynne Weaver had produced an excellent beer, she knew it was time to launch a real craft brewery with her own tasting room. She also knew her very limited budget was going to be a real challenge. She found a 12,000-square-foot, slate-gray storage warehouse with a towering grain silo in Inglewood that could accommodate brewery and tasting room. Then she found an intrepid architect -- Doug Pierson, AIA -- who could develop a minimalist strategy to accommodate Weaver's budget, the brewery's spatial and functional needs, and meet all permitting requirements. Key to the strategy is the use of the warehouse's loading dock for indoor/outdoor seating. The large roll-up door there remains open to reveal all aspects of Weaver's enterprise -- from brewing to serving to drinking -- in an open, immersive, and unvarnished environment.
Three Weavers Brewery is a welcome addition to Inglewood, a city adjacent to Los Angeles with its own diverse identity. Its sensible design allows the social spot to integrate into the core of the community without relying on gentrification.