Austin Design Cooperative’s brewery project manager Peter Webster and Lawson’s Finest Liquids’ own Sean Lawson were selected to contribute at the 2020 Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) in San Antonio TX this spring. Then Covid-19 happened.
CBC moved the proceedings online, enabling Peter and Sean to present perspectives on their collaboration creating Lawson’s welcoming new Waitsfield taproom and production brewery. This project is an excellent example of the opportunity to work with a mindful client, in creating an authentic destination brewery. It is Architecture for Enjoying Life, in a pint glass. The recorded seminar is available to the public through the end of May, 2020. Enjoy the friendly exchange! Click “Watch Replay” in the description.
Synopsis: CBC Online 2020
Speakers: Peter Webster, Sean Lawson
Craft is about the marriage of science and art, curiosity and creativity, outcome and process, what and how. In the beer world, this marriage has created a culture of fans that want the flavors of their favorite brews as well as the experience of that beer’s essence. Enter the destination brewery, where ‘superfans’ travel incredible distances to arrive in the heart of their favorite beers’ creation. How does one create a destination worthy of this dedication and desire? You apply the same care and consideration in designing your brewery that you used in designing your beer.
This presentation will provide a broad view of Lawson’s Finest Liquids’ journey from micro to mecca in the contexts and considerations of production, community, and experience. Sean Lawson will co-present with his brewery’s architect, Peter Webster from Austin Design Cooperative, on what worked and went wonky in creating a destination brewery. We will focus on initial visioning, finding the balance between production and tasting room, the attempt to please all of the people all of the time, and the surprising influence of bike paths, cornhole, and small town life in creating an iconic destination for fans, both local and international.
Learning Objectives:
Illustrate a destination brewery
Show the importance of bringing your values to the forefront of the whole project
Provide tips for navigating the public interactions for your brewery
Look at ways to make your brewery a full brand experience