Location
Seattle, Washington
Size
18,660 SF
Timeframe
2019
Upward Architecture worked with a local Seattle area cheese producer to explore the transformation of two Georgetown parcels into a distillery, tasting room, restaurant, and outdoor gathering space. The project site on Airport Way was studied for zoning, capacity, and program fit, with multiple massing and site-planning options prepared.
Each design iteration positioned the distillery as the heart of the project, ensuring guests had unobstructed visual connections to the production floor. Plans explored flexible combinations of tasting rooms, restaurant or market-style food vendor stalls, and outdoor seating. Central to the concept was an immersive visitor experience: a courtyard with pavilion-style dining, garden trellises, and even the ability to project outdoor movies against adjacent building walls.
Equipment planning was documented, from 7,600-gallon whey storage and fermentation tanks to bottling lines and blending facilities, ensuring feasibility for the scaled production of whey-based spirits.
Through site due diligence, zoning analysis, and design option testing, the feasibility study established a clear roadmap for integrating food, drink, and community experience in one of Seattle’s oldest industrial neighborhoods.
