Location
Seattle, Washington
Size
12,800 SF
Timeframe
2010-2012
Structural Engineer
Coughlin Porter Lundeen
General Contractor
Abbott Construction
Mechanical & Electrical D/B Engineer
McKinstry
Photography
Perspective Image Photography
Westland Distillery, a pioneering force in the American Single Malt Whiskey movement, was founded in Seattle’s SODO neighborhood in 2010 with a bold vision: to craft whiskey that is unapologetically reflective of the Pacific Northwest. Drawing inspiration from local barley, native Garry oak, and the region’s winemaking and beer cultures, Westland has defined a distinctly place-based approach to whiskey that bridges tradition and innovation.
The project transformed a circa 1918 warehouse into an award-winning adaptive reuse whiskey distillery that invites visitors into the art and science of whiskey-making. The design unfolds around a raw yet refined tasting bar and whiskey library, framed by exposed timber and steel that honor both craft and heritage – key values in the founding family’s Pacific Northwest heritage. Behind the scenes, a state-of-the-art distilling operation reveals itself: a 5,000-liter mash house, a still room with twin copper pot stills by Vendome Copper and Brass Works, and a barrel room holding dozens of barrels awaiting transport to Westland’s aging & maturation facility in Skagit Valley.
Staff offices are located on a mezzanine above a state-of-the-art climate-controlled QC lab and the tasting bar. Thoughtful circulation ensures that guests move fluidly between tasting zones and production areas, reinforcing transparency, storytelling, and immersion in Westland’s process—from mash to memory. The work was completed while Mark was a founding principal at Urbanadd.
”Like many of the relationships we’ve built at Westland, we see a partner rather than a vendor in our architect Mark Ward. Mark’s been close to our business for longer than any of the farmers, coopers, and maltsters we partner with.
To be valuable beyond simply designing buildings, Mark has immersed himself in the world of whiskey over the past 10 years, just like the rest of us. He’s developed a context, a feel, for how we can be successful in an increasingly competitive market then apply his unique skillset in the collective realization of that.
He’s been a voice of imagination, vision, and reason when called for. We wouldn’t be where we are as a distillery without the partnership of Mark along the way. The home he’s built us is just as much his home too. As will be the next one.
Steve HawleyMarketing Director
