Project Title: Batson River Brewing and Distilling

Firm: Barrett Made

Submitted for Consideration in: Architecture, Interiors

Client: Batson River Brewing and Distilling

Location: Portland, Maine

Project-At-a-Glance:
Batson River Brewing and Distilling called for space for restaurant/dining, distillery, and tasting.  The design leverages existing rusticated finishes of the industrial single-story building by accenting the patina of the surfaces with architectural millwork, stone and a muted palette of surface color creating a rich layering of texture and tones.

Project Narrative:

Designed within a building previously used as a maintenance garage for public works vehicles, Batson River Brewing and Distilling called for space for restaurant/dining, distillery, and tasting in the heart of Portland’s Bayside neighborhood.  The design acts to leverage the existing rusticated finishes of the industrial single-story brick, timber, and steel building by accenting the patina of the existing surfaces with selectively detailed architectural millwork, stone and a muted palette of surface color creating contrast resulting in a rich layering of textures and tones. 

The space consists of several unique seating areas allowing for a variety of different dining experiences from street side open air dining to intimate private booths.  The space is also designed to be subdividable via a mezzanine with large floor to ceiling curtains that help accommodate private events and allow for simultaneous use of adjacent space.  As the project progressed through the Covid-19 pandemic this also proved useful in helping the space adapt to requirements related to limited occupancy and separation.

The client challenged the design team to create bold focal points for each area of the space accomplished by integrating elements such as a large masonry fireplace in the front dining area and a window wall allowing the distilling equipment to become the focal point in the ‘back bar’.  The client additionally required that the space to be adaptable in its ability to be re-decorated for events and seasonal décor changes.  To accommodate this the architecture and design team worked closely to identify areas where large architectural focal pieces would remain in place adjacent to areas where curated décor could easily be changed to update the feel of the space assuring its adaptability without necessitating costly, disruptive remodels.

The space consists of approximately 9,500sf and was completed with a construction budget of approximately $225/sf.