OAK | bourbon distillery

YEAR: 2016

LOCATION: Austin, Texas; United States

_________________________________________

The project consists in the transformation of an existing metal warehouse building in East Austin, into a Bourbon distillery with an integrated tasting room.

The beginning concept was the duality of poetics and technical aspects in the bourbon-making process.  In this project, the general idea was of a breathing entity, in reference to the expansion/contraction of the oak wood inside the whiskey barrels.

This breathing was then materialized into a wall system of pivoting wood louvers, which not only separated the production area from the tasting area, but also allowed a dynamic relationship between both spaces by the rotation of its elements, creating opportunities for sneak-peaks, natural lighting and ventilation.

The structural elements were preserved, but an indoor patio was carved between them to generate an outdoor tasting space, that could act as a connector between production and tasting areas, with the flexibility to merge with the latter in recreational activities.