The Alchemist Brewery in Stowe, Vermont at twilight. Architecture by Austin Design Cooperative, image by Michael Penney Photography.
“When people walk in the door, their jaws drop,” said John Kimmich, co-owner and head brewer at The Alchemist Brewery. “The natural light, the energy efficiency of the building — it’s a church to beer.”
So starts an article from Trane, an international manufacturer of heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and building management systems and controls. Through local mechanical contractor Vermont Heating and Ventilating Company (VHV), Trane supplied the facility conditioning equipment for our brewery client The Alchemist in Stowe, VT. As for John Kimmich’s architectural tribute “it’s a church for beer,” we couldn’t agree more. That’s exactly the phrase that was used while we were designing the brewery, drawing on John and [his wife] Jen’s own inspirations.
On VHV’s website, there’s a nice video case study of their installation process at The Alchemist, detailing the specific demands of brewery HVAC design and the equipment that was deployed to meet those requirements. It’s an ode to efficient chillers and monstrous air handlers, for all of those mechanical conditioning devotees out there in brewery land.