The St Nicholas Distillery

PEAT SMOKE & SPIRIT THE St. NICHOLAS DISTILLERY

CHRISTOPHER HAMILL

WHISK(e)Y

noun : whisky A spirit distilled from malted grain, especially barley or rye short for whiskybae /from the Irish uisce beatha/ ultimately translation of Medieval Latin aqua vitae literally,

water of life

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION

THE EXPERIENCE

WHISKY HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY BRIEF PROCESS

ENTRANCE JOURNEY RESTAURANT

TERROIR

LANDSCAPE

RAW MATERIALS SITE CHURCH OF ST. NICHOLAS ANALYSIS

SITE JOURNEY WHISKY TRAIL HORTICULTURE

THE WHOLE

STRUCTURE

ZONING CONCEPTS DEVELOPMENT PLANS PRECEDENTS ARCHITECTURE + PROCESS BRANDING

MATERIALITY STRUCTURAL STRATEGY CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE

THE MAKING JOURNEY DEVELOPMENT TOWER TECTONICS

THE AGEING COOPERAGE BOTTLING CASK STORE DEVELOPMENT

ENVIRONMENT ENERGY REQUIREMENTS PROCESS TOWER CASK STORE BIO-FUEL PRODUCTION

REGULATION ACCESSIBILITY RISKS FIRE SAFETY CDM COST

CONCLUSION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

MARTIN GLEDHILL NIGEL BEDFORD

Head of Year Personal Tutor

TIM OSBORN GENNADY MALISHEV CHRIS FENTON JOHN GRIFFITHS STEVE BURRIDGE

Landscape Consultant Structural Consultant Environmental Consultant Tectonic Consultant Regulatory Consultant

ALASTAIR SIMMS ANDERS ELFSTRÖM JO GODWIN STAFF OF BRUICHLADDICH & BOWMORE

Master Cooper Thomas Eriksson Arkitekter Churches’ Conservation Trust

MUM & DAD THE BOYS

Emotional & Financial Support Drinking Companions

Distillery Operators

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INTRODUCTION THE WATER OF LIFE

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BETWIXT & BETWEEN

““Whisky is liquid sunshine.”

- George Bernard Shaw Whisky, a word derrived from the Irish for ‘Water of Life” is the product of modern day alchemy, wherein the elements of earth, water and fire and transmuted into something other, and sublime.

The exact science of this transformative process is still little understood - we know how, but not why.

This is why experience, patience, and a good deal of luck are of key importance to the production of whisky.

This simple beverage links us to the past, keeping old traditions and crafts alive; to the soil, of great significance to the end product and to the heavens, there is a reason it is known as ‘spirit’ after all.

In turns both modern and ancient, a great tradition, but with a heritage which is often marketed in an incredibly pastiche fashion, the art of distilling has been discovered and re-discovered, modified and adapted countless times over the millenia, and will no doubt continue to do so for generations to come.

A golden glass of whisky, held in hand beside an open fire on a cold winter’s night is, in a nutshell, a little piece of heaven fallen to earth.

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WHISKY FACTS Water of Life - Aqua Vitae - Uisce Beatha - Uisgebaugh - Whisk(e)y

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DISTILLING PHILOSOPHY + ALCHEMY

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The Alchemy of Whisky In the Western tradition, the invention of distilling is usually ascribed to Maria the Jewess, working in Hellenic Alexandria in the 1st Century AD. In its initital inception, the spirits produced were not intended for recreational consumption but were rather the result of a quest by alchemists to investigate and purify the natural world.

Distillation was seen as one of the primary methods of purification available, and early practitioners believed that by repeating this process over and over the increasing purity of the substrate would allow them to extract its essence or spirit, and when the substrate was wine or another alcohol, this spirit was known as aqua vitae or water of life.

Indeed, it was only much later, in medieval Ireland when Christian monks translated aqua vitae they made as medicine into the language of their Gaelic-speaking congregations that it became Uisce Beatha; later bastardised into English as ‘Whisky’.

Whisky production is a complex alchemical process, which sees numerous elements added, sublimated, combined, destroyed and reformed to create a clean, pure, colourless liquid which, to the early alchemist and modern enthusiast alike, could take on seemingly miraculous properties.

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A History of Distilling: Whilst distilling was invented by Egyptian alchemists and the process preserved and used for the creation of medicines in Irish monasteries following the fall of the Roman Empire, the creation of whisky as a beverage to be consumed and enjoyed came much later.

The earliest record of whisky being consumed for pleasure comes from 15th Century Ireland, in the Annals of Clonmacnoise, which attributes the death of a chieftain to “taking a surfeit of aqua vitae”.

The first known commercial distillery is also located in Ireland, at Bushmills. This distillery was granted its licence to distil in 1608, and under the ownership of the Diageo Corporation continues to operate today.

From Ireland, distilling spread to Scotland and later to the Americas, although due to a tax levied on the production of malted barley, much of this activity took place illicitly.

The practice of ‘moonshining’, so named because in order to evade the excise man, the illegal distiller would often extinguish their lamps and work only by the light of the moon, therefore became prevalent in many countries.

This term is however, particularly associated with the Prohibition Era in the USA in the 1920s. Due to the reliance on exports to the US, many distilleries in the newly independent Republic of Ireland closed, leaving Scotland, which was able to weather the storm by increasing exports to the rest of the British Empire, as the undisputed master of world whisky production. Indeed, many people now use the words Scotch and whisky interchangeably.

In recent years, there has been a move away from large scale whisky production belonging to the traditional whisky producing countries. New craft distilleries continue to spring up in countries as diverse as England, Sweden, India and Australia.

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Chemists and workers operating distilling apparatus in a lab c.1580 Engraving by P. Galle after J. van der Straet.

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CLIENT INFO

CLIENT:

The St. Nicholas Distilling Co. The St. Nicholas Distilling Company (hereafter referred to as ‘the Client’) is a start up spirit production company currently looking to build a unique and bespoke building in order to allow them to increase production beyond that of their current, small-scale business. The Client is keen that the building will act as a landmark suitable for a new industry which they believe will help to re-invigorate Weston-super-Mare and give the town a newfound sense of identity.

The Client feels strongly that the process and the architecture should be carefully integrated with a view towards streamlining production and making the facility more sustainable than a typical building of this type.

BRIEF:

Distillery Design A design is to be produced of a new distillery building to produce whisky, (and gin as a secondary product) capable of an output of 1,000,000 bottles of spirit per year at peak production.

The site is a plot of land just outside the disused quarry at Uphill. This site also adjoins the Uphill Cliffs S.S.S.I., therefore careful consideration must be given to the environmental impact of the scheme.

BUDGET:

£30,000,000 The budget for this project is to be split more or less evenly between the costs of the building and the costs of the equipment contained therein.

The significant startup costs of a distillery, coupled with the lag time before profits are returned make it imperative that the building in operation has the minimum running costs possible. Thus sustainablility is of key importance to the design.

A significant proportion of the funding for the new building is to be sought from a large number of small percentage investors through the sale of personalised casks. Therefore, the building design must cater for the needs of these investors should they wish to visit the distillery and sample their whisky.

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The logo used by the St. Nicholas Distilling Company is based on the crest of St Nicholas, after the church on the site from which the company also takes its name.

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WHY DISTIL IN WESTON?

In recent decades, Weston has suffered from the loss of income resulting from a decline in the British seaside as a holiday destination. The construction of a distillery in the town could benefit the town in numerous ways:

ECONOMY: The current planning policy of the town is geared towards attracting new industries and jobs. The proposed building would provide immediate employment for at least 35 local people. Additionally, the distilling process creates a demand for resources and skills which can help to support local farmers and tradespeople.

CULTURE: Whisky is embedded in the fabric of the UK, and is one of its most successful exports. However it is usually left for the ‘Celtic’ regions to produce. With ideal conditions for whisky production present in Weston-super-Mare, there is no reason why this business could not be successful and help to create an ‘Anglo-Saxon’ branch of the whisky family tree.

SOCIETY: The creation of local jobs in a unique and sustainable industry could help to refocus the society of Weston.

Numerous communities in Scotland and Ireland centre around a nearby distillery, which gives the community a sense of identity and pride which also providing clear and long-lasting economic benefits.

EDUCATION: With Weston Council attempting to refocus the town towards education, the construction of a distillery creates an immediate need for numerous skilled craftspeople.

The length of the whisky production process makes it imperative that these craftspeople take on apprentices to train the next generation to carry on their work.

The building with therefore inevitably create a source of vocational training and subsequent employment for younger local people.

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Any distillery requires the expertise of numerous skilled craftsmen.

The project will therefore provide not only a place of work, but a place of learning for new generations.

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ACCOMODATION SCHEDULE

PROGRAMME

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3D ORGANISATION

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PROCESS DRIVEN ARCHITECTURE

BUILDING AS SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRY

The traditional distillery is laid out in a linear, fragmented fashion. This is extremly inefficient due to the large quantities of energy expended moving raw materials around the site. The new distillery will signifcantly reduce its energy footprint by stacking the process vertically in a tower, allowing gravity to power much of the movement between stages of manufacture.

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A Machine - Within & Without

GRISTING MILL

MASH TUN

WASHBACK

These pieces of equipment are arguably the most important part of the building: they give it its reason to exist and the scheme is primarily designed around them. The programme is structured to allow the flow of materials between them, the visitor experience must be built around them, the building’s fabric will use the same material palette, and the structure and environmental strategies will be dedicated to keeping them safe and efficient.

These machines are, in short, the genesis of the building’s entire design.

BUILDING AS MACHINE

This building does not simply contain equipment within it - it is a machine in and of itself. It shelters, links and exhibits the process steps and must therefore be designed using the same language and logic.

This concept will permeate every layer of the building’s fabric from the programatic to the tectonic scale.

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POT STILL

SPIRIT VAT

HOGSHEAD

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TERROIR A SENSE OF PLACE

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Although not currently associated with the production of whisky, the area surrounding Weston-super-Mare possesses the four major raw materials required for its production in abundance.

Further, with the River Axe being both a source of fresh water and a potential transport link for heavy bulk goods, a site to the south of Weston, near the river seems the most appropriate for a new distillery.

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JOHN STARK ‘THE PEAT DIGGERS’ 2015 Oil on Oak Panel

TERROIR

noun : terroir The complete natural environment in which a particular wine or whisky is produced, including factors such as the soil, topography, and climate.

The characteristic taste and flavour imparted to a wine or whisky by the environment in which it is produced.

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SITE SECTIONS

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SITE PLAN

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UPHILL CLIFFS SSSI

OLD CHURCH OF ST. NICHOLAS

WESTON BAY

BREAN DOWN

AGRICULTURAL LAND

Several of the plant species which are native to the site can also be used in the production of gin, providing the opportunity for the distillery to diversify its range of products without importing costly botanicals. .27

SITE

DISUSED LIME KILN

BOATING LAKE

The cliffs at Uphill have been notified as an SSSI since the 1960s, due to their remarkable geology and biodiversity. Numerous plant and animals species inhabit the limestone cliffs and the plateau above. That said, the site is rugged and adaptable, with livestock routinely grazed on its slopes in order to control plant growth.

The site is also marked by the evidence of past industry - the remains of a Victorian quarry and lime kiln are still clearly in evidence on the site and to this day, the foot of the cliffs adjoin to the Uphill boat yard, and heavy goods vehicles routinely access the site.

Thus the chosen site allows the design benefit from a sublime location, whilst not being overly constrained by its absolute preservation. Rather, the new building can seek to address some of the current issues with the site, such as restricted access and views, while also being the bold, statement building it must be if it is indeed to become a landmark around which Weston can reinvent itself.

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VIEW OF CHURCH OF ST.NICHOLAS FROM EXISTING, OVERGROWN TRAIL

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AXO VIEW

OLD CHURCH OF ST. NICHOLAS The most significant building surrently on the site is the Church of St. Nicholas, from which the distillery takes its name The Grade II* listed Church of St. Nicholas at Uphill dates from around 1080 CE, and overlooks the chosen site from a prominent vantage point at the top of the Uphill Cliffs.

Architecurally, the church is the the simple, Norman style, although other styles can be seen as a result of later additions and repairs.

Restored in the mid 19th Century, the church has partially fallen into ruin since the construction of the current parish church at Uphill. The roof of the nave has disappeared.

Formerly, the building was painted white using lime from the quarry below to act as a navigational marker for ships at sea as well as emphasising its importance to the villages as a physical manifestation of their spirituality.

It is this historic status which the new distillery will seek to emulate, as it attempts to become not only a physical landmark on the Weston skyline, but also a metaphorical icon of a new direction for the town’s future.

HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL AXIS

LANDMARK ON THE RIDGE-LINE .30

VERTICALITY & INDUSTRY The chosen site sits in close proximity to three prominant landmarks: the Old Church of St. Nicholas, the abandoned lime kiln an the Tudor warning beacon. Each one has in its time been a landmark on the skyline of uphill, even the kiln, whose column of smoke could be seen for miles around. The windmill and quarry also serve as a reminder that this site has long has a connection with industry and that connection continues today with the Uphill Boat Yard, and eventually, the St. Nicholas Distillery.

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PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED...

RESTRICTED ACCESS: Currently, the main access to the Uphill Cliffs SSSI is through a breach in the Victorian Sea Wall and through the boat yard. This route lacks even a footpath for pedestrians. Not only is this an unsatisfactory means of ingress to such a sublime site, but it is also dangerous as it requires pedestrians to walk on roadways often trafficed by heavy goods vehicles.

The existing vehicular access could be of great use to the new distillery, however the problem of the pedestrian route demands a solution.

A RICH HISTORY: The site is marked with several historic buildings, including the Church of St. Nicholas, which is nearly 1000 years old. The building must respect the existing historic fabric, both physically in terms of preserving these structures, but also conceptually in the way the building is articulated on the site.

The exisiting does however offer a rich conceptual basis for the design, notably the existance of so many landmark buildings with strong vertical elements.

BLOCKED VIEWS: The site is currently overgrown, and views through to the beautiful SSSI beyond are hard to come by, due to the clutter of the boatyard and the dense vegetation along the lake shore.

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This suggests both that a careful landscaping strategy will be a necessary part of the design, and also implies that the building may benefit from increased height in order to allow for views over the obstructions.

SITE ANALYSIS

BUILDING AS LANDMARK & GATEWAY The current access to the Uphill Cliffs SSSI is both inadequate and dangerous, passing as it does through an industrial boat yard. The construction of a new distillery on this site will present the opportunity to reinvent the way the SSSI is accessed, as well as potentially creating a new landmark building on a site with a history of statement structures.

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THE WHOLE FROM GRAIN TO GLASS

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THE ST. NICHOLAS DISTILLERY THE BOATING LAKE .37FROM

HORIZONTAL & VERTICAL AXIS IN ELEVATION

RIGIDITY & FLUIDITY IN PLAN

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GENERAL BUILDING ZONING

The building is designed, first and foremost to facilitate the efficient and sustainable production of distilled beverages, namely whisky and gin. For such a facility to fuction however, many other ancillary spaces are also required, such as admisistration, visitor hospitality, as well as significant cask storage and plant.

The building is also required, due to its proxity to an SSSI, and the intention for the scheme to facilitate access to same, to sit confidently and sympathetically on its site, and to act as a landmark, around which Weston can build a new identity.

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BUILDING AS LANDMARK AND GATEWAY PROCESS TOWER

CHIMNEY AND BEACON

COOPERS’ WORKSHOPS

ADMINISTRATION CASK STORE BLENDING

BUILDING AS MACHINE

BOTTLING MALTINGS AND PLANT

BUILDING AS SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRY

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PROCESS & AXIS

COOPERING

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Whisky is traditionally produced in an extremely inefficient, linear fashion, for no better reason than it has always been so. The design of a new facility allows for introduction to the process of a vertical axis; harnessing the power of gravity to transport materials between manufacturing stages, in so doing massively reducing the building’s energy consumption.

Diagramaticaly, this simplifies the building progrtamme with mechanical processes placed along the vertical axis, whereas the supporting elements, such as the cooperage and cask storage can be placed along the horizontal.

MAKING

AGEING .42

SCHEME DEVELOPMENT

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STAGE 1

STAGE 2

The scheme wraps around the cliff to the south before pulling away in order to use the mass of the building itself to separate pedestrians from heavy goods traffic.

Barrels are stored between concrete buttresses along the cliff face.

The issue of preventing pedestrians from crossing paths with traffic was resolved by the introduction of the access trench, allowing them to be lifted above road level by the time they reach the building. The building thus becomes a route to the SSSI beyond.

STAGE 3

STAGE 4

The pedestrian route is made more interesting by moving elements of programme, such that the most animated spaces within the building; the Cooperage and the Bottling Plant lie alongside the route and those facades are heavily glazed to allow for views through.

The restaurant on the cliff is moved to a much more accessible postion underneath the barrel store, adn the workshops are altered to allow for more open space in plan in order to more easily facilitate the moving or large timbers.

The reception block is rationalised and a restaurant is placed on a ledge in the quarry to act as a destination for the visitor route. .44

Uphill Great Rhyne

The St. Nicholas Distillery

Uphill Boat Services

Disused Lime Kiln

N

Boating Lake

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12.5m

25m

50m To River Axe and Weston Bay

To Uphill and Weston super Mare

ROOF PLAN

Old Church of St. Nicholas

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PLAN 0

N

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5m

10m

20m

LEVEL 0 KEY 1 - DISTRIBUTION CENTRE 2 - MALT FLOOR 3 - MALT KILN 4 - GRAIN LIFT 5 - FREIGHT LIFT 6 - PASSENGER LIFT 7 - PEAT STORE 8 - FURNACE 9 - CHIMNEY 10 - OFFICE 11 - W/C 12 - PLANT ROOM 13 - ALGAE POND 14 - BOTANICAL DRYING 15 - BOTANICAL STORE 16 - TOOL STORE

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PLAN 1

N

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5m

10m

20m

LEVEL 1 KEY 1 - CAR PARK 2 - WHISKY TRAIL 3 - WALKERS’ REFUGE 4 - RECEPTION 5 - W/C 6 - OFFICE 7 - GLASSBLOWER’S SMITHY 8 - BOTTLING PLANT 9 - BOTTLE STORE 10 - WORKSHOP 11 - STORE 12 - RESTAURANT 13 - KITCHEN

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PLAN 2

N

.51 0m 2m

5m

10m

20m

LEVEL 2 KEY 1 2 3 4 5

-

COOPERAGE CASKING BLENDING CASK STORE TASTING AREA

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PLAN 3

N

.53 0m 2m

5m

10m

20m

LEVEL 3 KEY 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

-

STILL HOUSE MEETING ROOM OFFICE SERVER ROOM ARCHIVE STORE W/C BREAK-OUT SPACE

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LEVEL 5

LEVEL 6

KEY

LEVEL 4

N

.55 0m 2m

5m

10m

20m

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

-

WASH HOUSE SERVICE GANTRY ABOVE FREIGHT LIFT PASSENGER LIFT GRAIN LIFT CHIMNEY MASH HOUSE MILL HOUSE GRAIN LIFT APEX

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BOWMORE DISTILLERY

The Bowmore Distillery on the Scottish Island of Isaly has been in continuous operation since the 18th Century and is a good example of traditional distillery architecture.

The distillery features a number of classic elements such as the pagoda ventilators designed by Charles Doig, and the facility itself is a collection of large buildings spread over a sprawing site, due to the organic growth of the distillery over time, and safety concerns over fire spread before the advent of modern fire fighting techniques.

Like most distilleries on Islay, the buildings are in the Scottish Hebridean style, and the distillery’s seaside location allowed for the easy transport of goods via the slipway.

DISPARATE PLAN BY THE SEAFRONT

ORNAMENTAL CHIMNEY APEX

CLUSTER

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MACKMYRA GRAVITY DISTILLERY

MILL

MASH

WASH

Traditionally, distilleries are long, linear building with seperate rooms for each process step. By turning this typology 90 degrees onto its side, the architects were able to use gravity to help move raw materials between process stages.

SILO

The new Mackmyra Whisky Distillery in Sweden by T.E.A. is a interesting example of how innovations in the manufacturing process can be integrated into the architectural fabric.

STILLS

The reduction in energy requirements for pumping reduce sthe distillery’s CO2 emissions per bottle by 50% STACKING PROCESS TO SAVE ENERGY

LANDMARK IN THE FOREST

STACK

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DOMINUS WINERY

This winery building by Herzog & De Meuron adopts a low, plinth typology to better integrate it into the landscape.

This effect is further heightened by the use of local stone in the building’s construction.

Light passing through the gabions which form the building’s exterior walls is filtered, creating an interesting display of light and shadows on the interior.

BROKEN LIGHT THROUGH GABIONS

BLENDING INTO THE LANDSCAPE

PLINTH

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DE LEMOS

This 2013 project by Carvalho AraĂşjo takes its form in plan from the contours of its rugged site in the Portugese hinterland.

Therefore the building wraps around the existing contour lines of the site, and alternates between burying into the cliff or pulling away from it to create semi-enclosed areas between the building and the rock face.

A pedestrian route is created along the top of the building, providing an access route to the landscape beyond for those who do not necessarily wish to visit the building itself.

PEDESTRIAN ROUTE ON ROOF

WRAPPING AROUND SITE

WRAP

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UNWRAPPED BUILDING ELEVATION The building is designed to be highly legible from the outside. The process tower is clad in copper mesh and allows views in to the equipment within, especially at night when fully illuminated.

The supporting wings are clad in green oak, symbolising their connection to this natural material which is key to what goes on within these spaces.

The concrete of the plinth is coloured with aggreate excavated from the site during construction, allowing it to blend into the cliffside, and firmly grounding the building on its site.

UNWRAPPED ELEVATION W/ PROCESS OVERLAID

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PROCESS ELEVATION The whisky making process is key to the way the building is laid out. Delivery, malting and kilning take place in the ground floor concrete plinth, from where the malted barely is lifted to the top of the process tower. As it winds its way down again, it wncounters a new process step on each floor, becoming more refined at each stage.

Where the vertical axis crosses the hoizontal, on the casking floor, the supporting elements of the cooperage and cask store intersect the process tower. In this way, the making, filling and storage of casks can all occur on the same floor, making the movement of casks around the facility much easier.

Underneath the cask store sits the bottling plant, where after a period of several years, the aged spirit commences its final journey from cask to bottle to drinks cabinet.

Excess alcohol vapour is burned off via gas flare at te top of the process tower, combining a safety feature and architectural beacon into one component, and carries memories of the warning beacon and landmark church at the top of the cliff.

GRISTING MILL

MASH TUN

WASHBACKS

POT STILLS

CASKING VAT

COOPERAGE DISTRIBUTION CENTRE

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GAS FLARE GRAIN LIFT

BOTTLING PLANT CASK STORE

MALTING FLOOR MALT KILN

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VIEW OF BUILDING FROM ENTRANCE TO BOAT YARD

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FIRST GLIMPSE OF PRCOESS TOWER FROM CARPARK AND TRAIL ENTRANCE

1:200 MODEL PHOTOS This model was extremely useful for seeing how the building has developed in 3D. It was an extremely useful design exercise and allowed for the production of views from slightly less obvious, but still interesting and informative areas such as those illustrated here.

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BUILDING GLOBAL VIEW

A BUILDING OF JOURNIES The building is an amalgam of three different routes which wind in and around it. it uses the same basic language to say differnet things to a person on each of these journies.

These three routes will form the organisational basis for the subsequent chapters.

THE PROCESS ROUTE // Connection & Efficiency //

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THE VISITOR ROUTE

THE PEDESTRIAN ROUTE

// Education & Hospitality //

// Exhibition & Gateway //

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THE MAKING ALCHEMY IN ACTION

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X-RAY VIEW LOOKING UP THROUGH THE PROCESS TOWER

BUILDING AS SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRY

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BUILDING AS MACHINE

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CHIMNEY AND LIFTS

GAS FLARE BEACON MILL HOUSE

MASH HOUSE

WASH HOUSE

STILL HOUSE

CASKING

PROCESS TOWER ZONING

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A TOWERING PROCESS The mechanical parts of the whisky making process are clustered together and arranged in a tower, with each subsequwnt floor containing an adjoining process step.

The concrete plinth is extruded upwards to form the kiln’s chimney. This structure also contains the grain and passenger lifts and imparts structural stability to the tower Concieved primarily as a safety feature , such as an oil rig’s boom flare, the gas also acts both as a beacon to the local community and a ‘pilot light’ to show when the distillery is in operation Here, the malted barley is ground up into a rough flour, known as Grist

During Mashing, the Grist is mixed with hot water and stirred to dissolve the sugar, Maltose from the grain

Washing is more commonly known as Brewing. On this floor, yeast is added to the sugary water and left to ferment for three days, forming a sory of malty beer called Wash

Malted grain is liftefd from the kiln at the bottom of the building to the Mill House at its summit via a grain lift.

From there, milling, mashing, wahing distilling and casking each use the power of gravity to pull raw materials down from the floor above. In this way, the energy expended on pumping is minimised, with the only energy expended on transport going to the inital lifting of the materials to the top of the tower.

This layout is not only efficient, but also serves to make the production elements of the building the most pominant, and visible on the site. The glazed facade and mesh cladding allow views into the machinery within, especially at night time, showing with great honesty and clarity the main fuction of this building.

The mass of the tower, combined with the burning beacon flare and the constant column of smoke rising from the summit of the chimney serve to make the building one of the most prominant objects on the skyline for miles around.

This effect is even more pronouced due to the way that the rest of the building hunkers down around the cliff face against which it sits. The physical manifestation of the building as a landmark in this way serves to illustrate the idea that is represents a new iconic industry, around which Weston-super-Mare can develop and advance, while still paying homage to the past, such as how this building is reminiscent of the ancient landmarks atop the Uphill Cliffs.

The Wash has an ABV of arounf 8%. In order to increase the concentration and purity of the alcohol, it is distilled twice is massive copper pot stills, raising its ABV to around 80%

In order to become whisky, the distilled spirt much be aged for at least 3 years on oak casks. On this floor, water is added, and the spirit is poured into casks, ready for subsequent storage

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THE PROCESS ROUTE

The building is designed around the whisky production process. Spaces are laid out primarily to facilitate the easy transfer of materials between each process step.

The stacking of the process in the tower significantly reduces energy expended on pumping.

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GRAIN LIFT

MALT FLOOR

.1 Malt Floor

.2 Grain Lift

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MASH HOUSE

MILL HOUSE

.3 Gristing Mill

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.4 Mash House

STILL HOUSE

WASH HOUSE

.5 Wash House

.6 Still House

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STORAGE

CASKING

.7 Casking

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.8 Cask Store

BOTTLING

.9 Bottling Plant

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DEVELOPMENT OF PROCESS TOWER

INITIAL The tower is chamfered for programmatic reasons on the ground floor pertaining to the pedestrian route. Vertical wooden louvres are employed as a cladding system in order to reduce incident sunlight.

DEVELOPMENT The plan is rationalised into a more orthogonal form which better suits the equipment to be contained within.

The obstruction cause by the tower on the ground floor is resolved by the changing of the chimney’s position in the plan. The chimney’s form is also simplified.

FINAL The structure is resolved to use the concrete chimney in order to reduce the number of columns in plan. The cladding system is revised to copper mesh so as to better preserve views into the tower while also reducing glare and better fitting with the scheme’s material palette.

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PERSPECTIVE SECTION MILL HOUSE

MASH HOUSE

WASH HOUSE

STILL HOUSE

CASKING

ROUTE & RECEPTION

DISTRIBUTION

SECTION AA

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STILL HOUSE - INTERIOR

GAS FLARE

GRAIN LIFT CHIMNEY

PERSPECTIVE SECTION

WASH HOUSE

STILL HOUSE

CASKING

ROUTE

FURNACE

SECTION BB

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DESCENDING THE STAIR

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EXTERNAL STAIR AND VIEWING PORTALS

OFFICES AND MEETING

BLENDING

GLASSMAKER’S SMITHY

BOTTLE STORE

MALT FLOOR

SECTION CC

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1. COPPER MESH CLADDING 2. CLADDING RAIL 3. SUSPENDED MAINTENANCE GANTRY 4. COMPOSITE STEEL DECK AND IN-SITU CONCRETE FLOOR

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5. STANDING SEAM COPPER ROOF FINISH 6. POLISHED CONCRETE FLOOR FINISH 7. IN-SITU CONCRETE CHIMNEY 8. WEATHER & BIRDPROOF CHIMNEY CAP 9. GAS FLARE WITH PROTECTIVE COPPER CAGE & REFLECTOR 10. GRAIN LIFT 11. COPPER LINED VIEWING PORTALS WITH MESH PROTECTIVE SCREENS

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13. LATTICE STEEL COLUMN WITH INTEGRAL PIPE WORK 14. SUSPENDED INTERMEDIATE WALKWAY .13

15. CANTILEVERED GRILL FLOOR STAIRCASE

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Alcohol vapour is prevented from building to dangerous levels by the addition of a gas flare. Copper plates protect the flame from the elements while also reflecting its glow far and wide, evoking memories of the Church and Beacon Tower at the top of the cliff.

The grain elevator shares power with the mill - the logic being that neither can operate independently, therefore it is efficient to power them with the same motor.

In stormy weather, the copper mesh facade acts like a Faraday Cage; conducting lighting directly to the ground and preventing it from igniting any alcohol vapour in the tower.

TOWER APEX

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MODEL CONCEPT THE SYMBIOSIS OF MAKING AND AGEING

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THE AGEING BARRELS OUT OF BOND

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AGE AND EXPERIENCE As any Whisky connoisseur will tell you, it’s the aging which makes the difference between a good whisky and a great one.

COOPERS’ WORKSHOP Raw lumber is planed and cut to size on the lower floor, while the more delicate coopering and assembley of the finished casks takes place on the level above, with the casks then ready to be filled and stored.

BLENDING A bottled whisky is rarely the product of a single cask. In order to preserve product consistency and taste, the Master Blender chooses and mixed casks at various points during their storage before sending them on to bottling.

CASK STORE

By UK law, whisky must be aged for at least 3 years in oak casks. These casks are heavy, flamable and a tempting target for theives. Here these problems have been solved in a creative manner, with the casks stored and displayed above the heads of those in the restaurant below.

BOTTLING PLANT This area sits directly below blending, again allowing gravity to transport the liquid between process steps. The bottles are filled and stored in glazed alcoves, displaying the distillery’s produce as the bottles await distribution

This part of the process is not as mechanised as the production of the distilled spirit, but is equally important to the making of the end product and has spacial and planning needs no less stringent than those of the spaces in the process tower. Those areas which have to deal with casks are some of the largest in the building, due to the quantity of materials they must hold and store.

The main thrust of this part of the building is, in contrast to that of the Process Tower, along a horizontal axis. Casks are made in the Cooperage, filled in the Casking area at the bottom of the tower, blended and stored all on the same floor, making their movement around the necessary stages of production much easier, as each full hogshead cask of the type used in whisky production weights around 1/4 tonnes when full.

The cask store is required to hold a huge number of these barrels for a period of up to 20 years in some cases. They must be kept safe from the twin dangers of fire and theft, which is why they are stored above the main pedestrian route, within the building. This does however, present the opportunity to display the casks in an innovative and interesting manner, with the barrels being held within the depth of the roof trusses, allowing a relatively unobstructed view up into them from the spaces below.

In addition to these large spaces dedicated to the production, filling and storing of casks, the building must also contain areas dedicated to pre- and postproduction; the Malt Floor and Kiln and the Bottling Plant respectively. Maltings and Kiln are contained within the concrete plinth due to their increased fire risk , whilst the glazed bottling plant sits alongside the main pedestrian route past the building, displaying this annimated and kinetic part of the process to passers-by.

MALTINGS & KILN Malting is the process whereby be barley grains are allowed to begin to germinate, turning their starches into useful sugars. The kilning stops this process before the grain begins to consume those sugars itself, and also imparts a distinctive, smoky flavour to the whisky. These areas are within the ground floor plinth due to the weigh of material involved and its inherent fire risk.

BUILDING AS MACHINE

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Waste water from the distillery, which is rich in organic matter, is used to cultivate algae, from which bio-ethanol can be produced.

The woskshops are much more heavily glazed on the rearward side, allowing walkers on the whisky trail to peer into this vital part of the production process.

More toxic waster is sealed into bio-fermentation tanks, where bacteria convert the harmful substances into hydrogen and methane via dark fermentation. This is then used to help fuel the mechanical elements of the production process.

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COOPERS’ WORKSHOP

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1. STEEL ROOF TRUSS 2. STEEL T-SECTION SECONDARY STRUCTURE 3. INSULATED STANDING SEAM COPPER ROOF

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4. COPPER GUTTER WITH EXPOSED DOWNPIPES 5. ROOF LIGHT WITH COPPER LINING 6. CLERESTORY GLAZING 7. GREEN OAK EXTERNAL CLADDING 8. GREEN OAK INTERNAL CLADDING WITH MINIMAL JOINTS 9. CONCRETE SCREED FLOOR 10. STEEL GRILLE WALL PROTECTION 11. SUSPENDED WORKBENCH 12. CURTAIN GLAZING 13. ALGAE POND 14. DARK FERMENTATION VAT 15. BIO-DIGESTERS

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1. IN-SITU CONCRETE RETAINING WALL 2. INSULATED CONCRETE SCREED FLOOR 3. CONCRETE WAFFLE SLAB FLOOR 4. FLUSH LAMINATED GLASS SKYLGHT 5. PRECAST CONCRETE BALUSTRADE WITH COPPER CAP AND INTEGRATED COPPERCLAD VENTS AND LANTERNS 6. CURTAIN GLAZING 7. INSULATED COMPOSITE STEEL DECK & IN-SITU CONCRETE FLOOR 8. EXTERNAL ESCAPE STAIR 9. STEEL FRAME CASK STORAGE 10. COPPER CLAD WINDOW BOX WITH INTEGRAL WINDOW SEAT 11. COPPER CAPPING WITH FLASHINGS 12. COPPER ADONISED GUTTER 13. FISH-BELLY STEEL PINCONNECTION BEAM 14. COUNTER-SPANNING STEEL C-PROFILE SECONDARY STRUCTURE 15. GREEN OAK CEILING SOFFIT 16. INSULATED COPPER STANDING SEAM ROOF

After being blended to the master distiller’s satisfaction, the whisky is delivered to the bottling plant by pouring it into a trough cast into the floor which pipes the spirit one floor down to the bottling plant.

The protruding copper clad windows serve the dual purpose of allowing more light into the blending area and providing a seat for visitors on whisky tastings.

MALTINGS & BOTTLING

The malt floor is kept deliberately dim so as to impede the germination of the barley grains, so that they do not consume their own sugars which are vital for whisky production. However skylights allow for views down into the malt floor, exposing this are of the production process. .102

TECTONIC SECTION THROUGH BARREL STORE 3D

The barrel storage frames are welded together so that they can also support the roof structure, forming a sort of ‘inhabited truss’ The steel members of the storage truss are kept as thin as possible so as to allow views up into the store from the restaurant. This also has the effect of filtering an dappling sunlight entering the restaurant from the upper skylights Openings around where the barrels are stored are kept minimal so as to prevent unacceptable solar gains in the casks stored nearer to the outside. .103

CASK STORE 1. STRUCTURAL WELDED BARREL SHELVING

8. GREEN OAK INTERIOR FINISH WITH MINIMAL JOINTS

2. CONCRETE COLUMN FOOTING

9. COPPER SHOD WINDOW REVEAL

3. SUSPENDED FISH-BELLY STEEL BEAM

10. STEEL RAILS TO GUIDE ROLLING BARRELS

4. INSULATED OAK FLOOR

11. INSULATED STANDING SEAM COPPER ROOF

5. STEEL GRILLE WALKWAY

12. INTEGRAL COPPER GUTTER

6. HIGHLY INSULATED STEEL FRAME WALL BUILDUP

13. GLAZED SKYLIGHT

7. GREEN OAK EXTERIOR CLADDING

14. STEEL PULLEY RAIL

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DEVELOPMENT OF CASK STORE

INITIAL IDEA Casks were to be stored in a structure stood on pilotis with a mesh floor to allow those walking under the building to look up into the stored barrels.

REFINEMENT The restaurant was moved underneath the cask store, allowing for a similar effect as the initial idea but with a more controlled environments, and solving a programatic issue with the restaurant.

RATIONALISATION The structure was rationalised so that the greatest mass was borne by a pair of columnsm which would also support the restaurant floor slung beneath. A much lessdense structure was then employed to support the much lighter walkways.

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CASK STORE - INITIAL REVIEW 26. 02. 15

7 WEEKS DEVELOPMENT

CASK STORE - TECTONIC REVIEW 15. 04. 15 .106

VIEW OF CASK ‘CEILING’ FROM RESTAURANT BELOW

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1:50 TECTONIC MODEL OF CASK STORE

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INSIDE THE CASK STORE

BARREL STORE RENDER

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THE EXPERIENCE COME IN AND HAVE A DRAM

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THE WHISKY TRAIL In terms of both practicality and architectural ambition, the building has been conceived with an integrated visitor route in mind. This serves the conceptual ambition of displaying all parts of the production process, from grain to glass, and helps clarify and articulate these production spaces by providing another layer of constraint and ambitions to their design.

PROCESS TOWER Following the process sequentially, from top to bottom, visitors can see and learn about each element of the production process in the order which it occurs.

On a practical note, a facility such as this would be unlikely to survive economically without the income generated by a lively visitor experience, especially in the first few years after production begins but before the whisky is ready for market.

Furthermore the visitor route helps to establish the building as a landmark around which Weston-super-Mare can rally, as by travelling throughout the building and seeing the process unwind sequentially before their eyes, the visitor is eased into understanding what can be a rather complex and convoluted process. The hope is that they will then take this newfound knowledge and excitement from the art of distilling and make use of it in their everyday lives.

CASK STORE In amongst all of the casks, the visitor may stop and enjoy a taste of the golden liquid quietly aging away in these massive oak vessels.

RESTAURANT Cooking with whisky is becoming more common and the restaurant serves to refresh and replenish those worn out after their educational journey.

With a ceiling apparently made out of whisky casks and an expansive view to the beautiful landscape beyond, this is an ideal spot to rest and enjoy a dram, for both visitors and passers-by alike.

The route takes the visitor through a trench, carved through the hillside, compressing the individual, and denying them views out over the landscape, except at carefully choreographed locations, where they can glimpse out at Brean Down and beyond.

Arriving at reception, the visitor takes a short trip in the lift to the top of the process tower, and from there follows the process in sequence, winding their way back down via the staircase which wraps around the chimney. After travelling through the still and silent air of the barrel store, visitors can choose to indulge in a tasting between the casks on one side and the exposed rock of the cliff face on the other, or else they can continue down to the restaurant suspended underneath, from where two panoramas present themselves: the view out over the Uphill Cliffs SSSI, and the view up, into the barrel store through which they have just passed.

They may then decide to continue through the building into the landscaoe beyoind, or return home in good spirits to discuss and reflect on all that they have experienced.

PEDESTRIAN PROMENADE Starting in a rough hewn trench cut through the landscape, and denying to them all but the most exquisite views, the visitor slowly ascends towards the building, then passes along, under and beyond its mass on their way to the SSSI beyond. On their way, the Cooperage, Bottiling Plant and Cask Store are displayed to them, hinting at the magic occuring within the building itself.

BUILDING AS LANDMARK AND GATEWAY

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RECEPTION - AWAITING THE LIFT TO THE SUMMIT

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THE VISITOR ROUTE

One of the fundamental architectural concepts of this building is that all elements of the process should be exposed and evident to visitors. The route follows the process so that visitors can learn about the process sequentially.

An interesting visitor experience is also vital for the maintenence of the distillery in the years before the first batch of whisky is ready.

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.1 Walkers’ Refuge

.2 Entrance

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MASH HOUSE

MILL HOUSE

.3 Gristing Mill

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.4 Mash House

STILL HOUSE

WASH HOUSE

.5 Wash House

.6 Still House

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TASTING

CASKING

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.8 Tasting Area

RESTAURANT

.9 Restaurant

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REFLECTED CEILING PLAN - BARRELS AS ‘CEILING TILES’

RESTAURANT - VIEWS BOTH UP AND OUT

RESTAURANT RENDER

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LANDSCAPE THE WHISKY TRAIL

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LANDSCAPE PLAN

SIGHT LINES

TRENCH OPENING TO WHISKY TRAIL

WALKER’ REFUGE

VIEW INTO COPPERAGE FROM TRAIL

MAIN ENTRANCE

PUBLIC RESTAURANT VIEW INTO BOTTLING PLANT AND BOTTLE STORE

PLANT BEDS FOR BOTANICAL GROWING

LIME KILN RETROFITTED INTO GREENHOUSE

OLD CHURCH OF ST. NICHOLAS

PATH TO UPHILL CLIFFS SSSI BUILDING AS LANDMARK AND GATEWAY

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APPROACH FROM NORTH THROUGH TRENCH

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THE WALKERS’ ROUTE

This building is both a landmark in the local area and also a gateway to the Uphill Cliffs SSSI beyond. The visitor winds their way around and under the mass of the building, experiencing variously; glimpsed views of Brean Down, the texture of the cut rock, the panorama of the floodplain to the south and the plants of the botanical area.

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BOTTLE STORE

REFUGE

.1 Walkers’ Refuge

.2 Bottle Storage

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TURNING CORNER W/ STEPS

.3 Pedestrian Prommenade

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BARREL STORE ABOVE

.4 Glazed Cask Store Above

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In order to provide rest stops for visitors to the Uphill Cliffs SSSI as well as to help those caught out by the British weather, several refuges have been designed to provide a place to rest and shelter. Each refuge is carved out of the rock of the access trench along the route of the whisky trail.

Each refuge is paired with a cut out piece of the trench wall allowing specific framed views out to Brean Down, the Bristol Channel and Wales.

1. VIEW THROUGH TO LANDSCAPE BEYOND 2. COPPER EDGED CONCRETE FRAME 3. OAK HANDRAIL W/ STEEL FIXINGS & COPPER TRIM 4. TANKED RETAINING WALL 5. SCREED SLOPED TOWARDS GUTTER 6. BARREL STAVE DUCKBOARDS 7. COPPER SHOD GUTTER 8. HANSON PRECAST CONCRETE RETAINING WALL UNIT (2000mm x 1000mm) 9. COPPER DRIP EDGE AT ENTRANCE TO REFUGE 10. REFUGE BENCH MADE FROM RECYCLED CASKS - SUSPENDED ON STEEL CABLES

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11. WASTE WATER PIPE 12. ROCK ANCHORS FIXING COPPER SAFETY MESH

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13. CONCRETE LINTEL

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WALKERS’ REFUGE

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Hot waste water from the facility needs to be cooled before being returned to its source. This is achieve in part by sending it though exposed copper pipes externally. This has the added benefit of heating the refuge bench on colder days.

The floor of the Whisky Trail is made more accessible in the event of snow or rain by the addition of wooden duckboards made from the staves of old casks.

Ground anchors are embedded into the rock face at regular intervals to stabilise the cliff.

Pedestrians are protected from falling rocks by a copper mesh screen fastened between the rock anchors

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HORTICULTURAL STRATEGY

HORTICULTURE

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APPROACH FROM SOUTH FROM UPHILL CLIFFS

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STRUCTURE STOP SWAYING! ...

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THE MATERIALITY OF PROCESS

COPPER IMPRESSION MESH

SEAMED & WELDED COPPER SHEET

SAND BLASTED STEEL

Copper mesh is used as an esterior cladding on the process tower. As the tower is heated internally by the equipment contained within, the primary evironmental issue to the cladding must address is reducing glare rather than shading the glazing.

Copper has been used to make pot stills for centuries. It reacts chemically with alcohol, removing sulphates from the liquid and making the whisky taste better!

Steel is used as the sole structure of casks - they use neither glue nor screws, but are held together solely by the compression of the steel hoops.

The mesh allows for a large degree of transparency, especially at night when the tower is light from within, displaying the copper process vessels on the inside.

The copper cladding also helps shield the tower from atmospheric electromagnetism.

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Standing seam copper sheet is used for the roofs of the building as sheet material helps water run off the low roof pitches, and aesthetically, it evokes images of the equipment contained within the building, especially when viewed from above on the cliff.

The copper is treated to not paternate in the usual way forming green copper-oxide, but rather will tarnish and stain, giving the building character as it ages - much like a good whisky.

In much the same way, mild steel is used as one of the primary structural materials in the design.

In much the same way as the hoops of a barrel, the steelwork is exposed whereever possible, and where it is visible, the metal is sandblasted and waxed, giving it a rustic, well-worn appearance which fits the aesthetic of the scheme.

GREEN OAK PLANKING

IN-SITU CONCRETE

LAMINATED GLAZING

Whisky produced in the UK must, by law, be aged for 3 years in oak casks.

Whilst concrete does not necessarily feature in the whisky production process, it does belong to the earth and the site.

As any whisky drinker knows, a glass is vital to the enjoying of a good whisky.

Green oak has therefore been selected as one of the primary cladding materials, both inside and out.

Difference plank profiles have been selected to be used on the inside and the outside, with the latter having larger spaces between planks.

As the green oak moves and settles, these spaces will warp and change, and this will occur much faster on the exterior, resulting in an appearance reminiscent of a cask with the joins on its inner face much tighter than those on the outer.

It has been chosen for its structural robustness to be used to brace and buttress both the steel frame structure and the cliff behind the building.

It is also necessary in the scheme due to its ability to deal with high temperatures well, therefore the kiln chimney and smithy are primarily constructed out of concrete.

Some of the excatated limestone from the site will be reduced to quicklime in the re-purposed lime kiln and used as an aggregate in the concrete, helping it blend into the site and reducing the wasted material from construction.

Glass is also vital in this scheme, and is used wherever transparency is required in the building envelope, most notably where it has been decided to expose certain elements of the process to the outside, for example in the Process Tower or along the back wall of the Coopers’ Workshop Laminated and fire-rated safety glass is specified in areas where there is an increased risk of fire or explosion.

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THE ANATOMY OF A CASK The 54 gallon hogshead cask typically employed in the distilling industry is of key importance to this scheme as both a metaphor for the tectonic and structural strategy as well as being utilised as a modular planning unit for the dimensioning of those areas of the building built to store casks.

The cask is interesting as a metaphor because its steel structure (the hoops are the only thing holding the staves together via compression) are clearly exposed and visible on the outside. The cask is simple and elegant, but its beaulty comes primarily from the fact that it is, above all, practical. It is these elements of honesty and practicality which my design seeks to emulate on a much larger scale.

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PLAN WITH GRID

Retaining Wall (in-situ concrete)

Structural Grid for Steelwork

In-Situ Load Bearing Concrete

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STRUCTURAL STRATEGY

In-Situ Concrete Mild Steel

The structural strategy for the proejct comprised two main materials: in-situ concrete and mild steel, which are used according to their seperate properties in different situations within the building.

As the construction of the building required a significant amount of excavation, in-situ concrete is required for the construction of retaining walls. Concrete has also been selected for the lower plinth, housing the maltings and plant room and is also used for the kilns, the smithy and the chimney base, where it

has been specified primarily due to its heat resisting properties as well as (in the case of the chimney) its ability to butrtress the primarily steel framed tower.

Steel has been used in most other areas due to its versitility and relatively light weight. The opportunity has also been taken to expressed the natural properties of steel via exposed members and connections on the inside of the building.

The steelwork used to create the shelving for the cask storage is to be

welded together in order to create a rigid truss, holding up the roof and walls, as well as bearing ht eweight of the casks held within its depth.

The tower uses steel in order to allow for the large clear-spans and high ceilings required for the placement of the distilling equipment. The primarily pin-joined steel frame is braced both by steel wire cross-bracing as well as the concrete chimney, which takes up rouughly 1/4 of the tower’s footprint, and can be used as shear bracing for all floors of the tower.

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Suspended Steel Cables

Load Bearing, Pin-Jointed Steel Span Members Load Bearing, Cantilevered Steelwork Load Bearing In-Situ Concrete Acting as Shear Bracing

The interior of the tower needs to be mostly open to allow for the installation and operation of several large pieces of equipment .

Thus, steel has been chosen as the primary structural material. The primary structural steel features expressed pin-joints between memebrs and therefore structural rigidity comes primarily from the bracing action of the massive shear walls of the chimney tower, although steel cable cross bracing along the facade also assists in this regard.

The staircase wrapping arounf thehe chimney bears onto cantilevered steel beams cast into the concrete during construction, and spaced at regular intervals.

Cantilevered Staircase Compositve Roof Construction

Suspended Cleaning Gantry

‘Fish-Belly’ Steel Beam

In order to allow for inspection and maintainence of some of the larger peices of equipment, service gantrys are suspended from the structuure above, with those affected structural members scaled up to compensate for the additional loading.

The cladding rail system and exterior cleaning gantry also employ a similar structural logic, being suspended from the floor above via steel cabling.

Floors are made from a steel and concrete composite construction, allowing them to span long distances while also taking the significant compressive forces bearing on them from the weight of machnery above.

Suspended Walkway

In-Situ Waffle Slab

In Situ Chimney

Tower Plan with Grid and Shear Walls Highlighted

Steel frame cross-braced on the facade by woven steel cabling. This is not possible on the inerior, due to the need of large open expanses for the housing of machinery.

Concrete Pile Foundations

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STRUCTURE - TOWER

The main structural challenge with the cask store is that each full cask weighs arounf 1/4 tonne and with the design decision to raise them off ground level for programatic and security reasons, a significant structure will be required to hold the barrels in the air.

The solution is to thicken and weld together the indiviudal members of the shelving frame so as to create an unusually deeo verendeal truss, within which the barrels can be stored. This truss can also bear the weight on the roof structure, transferring its loads onto the columns to which it is fixed.

The truss s left open at the bottom, with a walkway formed by a steel grill, so that occupants in the restaurant below have the impression of a ceiling made from casks.

All joints between truss members are welded to create stiff, moment connections, allowing the structure to carry the bending moment of such as large load, without resorting to criss bracing between members, which would prevent as many casks being stored within the truss and would also impede the view of the barrels from below.

Conversely, in order to emphasise that the restuarant is suspended beneath the cask store proper, its primary structural beams are of an efficient ‘fish-belly’ design, which places more material where the laods are greatest along the beam.

These beams are then pin jointed to the primary columns.

Secondary Structural Span

Quaternary Structural Span Tertiary Structural Span

Primary Structural Span

Cask Store Plan with Grid Highlighted

STRUCTURE - CASK STORE

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CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE

Start pont for excavation.

1. Excavation

2. Retention

Contractor mobilisation and site preperation. Cliff stabilisation to be carreid out as necessary. Inspection and cleaning of Lime Kiln. Contracotr cabins, site hordings and access road to be built.

In situ concrete retaining walls cast (concurrently with Stage 1). Piles sunk and ground-beams cast in situ between pile caps. Exterior algae pools lined with concrete.

Excavation on site beings, starting at fatherest point from access road.

Lime kiln re-opened to convert spoil from site into limstone aggregate.

5. Walling

6. Cladding

Walls and roof deck of lower ‘wings’ fitted. Steel frame for tower and access stair fitted around, and bearing on, chimney (happens progressively as chimney is cast in stages).

Green oak wall and copper roof cladding added to lower structure. Internal linings and MEP 2nd fix also begun in those areas. Tower floors and roofs cast on steell profile decks.

Installation of pipework and services for production areas.

Commencement of landscaping.

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3. Casting

4. Framing

Casting in-situ of concrete plinth superstructure. Erection of primary steelwork to support cask store.

Concrete superstructure and chimney are progressively cast in-situ.

Steelwork for lower ‘wings’s to be erected. MEP first fix.

7. Glazing

8. Fit-Out

Glazing installed and internal finishes begun sequentially. MEP 2nd fix in tower. Tower copper roof cladding installed. Tower mesh wall cladding added after glazing installation.

Equipment arrives on site in pieces and is assembled and installed within the building by specialists. Subsequent testing and commission of all systems.

Handover and comencement of defects liability period.

Lime Kiln cleaned of limewash and glazed in to form greenhouse.

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ENVIRONMENT THE 21st CENTURY DISTILLERY

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ENERGY IN: • • • • • •

ALCOHOL VAPOUR IS FLARED OFF AT THE TOP OF THE TOWER TO PREVENT IT BUILDING TO DANGEROUS LEVELS.

Burning of peat Natural Gas for heating Electricity supply Transport of raw materials Operaton of grain lift Operation of machinery

THE INTIAL EXPENDITURE OF ENERGY IN BRINGING THE GRAIN TO THE TOP OF THE TOWER IS OFFSET BY HAVING THE LIFT SHARE A MOTOR WITH THE MILL, SINCE NEITHER CAN OPERATE INDEPENDENTLY OR THE OTHER IN ANY CASE

GRIST i.e. THE HUSKS OF BARLEY GRAINS LEFT OVER FROM THE PRODUCTION PROCESS IS SOLD BACK TO LOCAL FARMERS TO BE USED AS ANIMAL FEED, WHICH IN TURN HELPS TO PRODUCE MORE BARLEY

THE STACKED PROCESS REDUCES ENERGY EXPENDED ON PUMPING TO A MINIMUM

WASTE WATER RICH IS ORGANIC MATER IS USED TO CULTIVATE ALGAE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BIO FUELS

BARGES USED TO TRANSPORT HEAVY BULK GOOD BY RIVER, REDUCING TRAFFIC THROUGH UPHILL VILLAGE

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WASTE HEAT IS REOVERED WHEREEVER POSSIBLE AND IS USED TO HEAT THE FACILITY, THE GREENHOUSE, THE WALKERS’ REFUGES AND POTENTIALLY SEVERAL HOMES IN UPHILL VILLAGE

BUILDING AS SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRY

GENERAL OVERVIEW The whisky distilling industry has changed little in the past 3 centuries, and whilst this does give it a veritable and unique heritage, it also means that in most cases, the production process does not take advantage of modern technologies in order to make it more efficient and less energy hungry.

This design has been intended from the outset to be an exemplar of how a few simple alterations to the basic distillery form can have a huge impact on its energy consumption. It is for this reason that the sustainability of this building has been one of the main drivers of the design throughout.

The most obvious effect of this change is the way the building turns the traditional linear process 90 degrees and stacks each process stage sequentially in order to allow gravity to do most of the heavy lifting during production. This has clearly had a substantial impact on the ultimate form of the design produced.

There are however many other environmental strategies which have been considered throughout the design process to help reduce the building’s energy consumption and to ensure the comfort and safety of its occupants.

For example, many of the buildings waste products, including excess heat are recycled in some way, with particular attention given to those strategies which directly benefit the building itself.

Even the initial brief was written with sustainability in mind - with the start to finish time of the production process being decades in some cases, it is vital that the building’s importance to the local community and the demand for the product are sustained to at least the same level as the building itself.

TRAFFIC THROUGH UPHILL VILLAGE IS REDUCED BY HAVING ONLY THE LESS BULKY, REFINED END PRODUCT EXPORTED VIA THAT ROUTE.

ENERGY USAGE

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DANGEROUS VAPOUR BUILDUP PREVENTED BY GAS FLARE MILL AND GRAIN LIFT SHARE A MOTOR TO REDUCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION

NATURAL VENTILATION ON UPPER FLOORS USING STACK EFFECT

STACKED PROCESS MINIMISES NEED FOR PUMPING HIGH PERFORMANCE ARTIFICIAL VENTILATION IN AREAS AT RISK OF VAPOUR BUILDUP

SOLAR GAINS THROUGH GLAZED FACADE NEGLIGIBLE DUE TO THE HEAT GENERATED BY THE EQUIPMENT WITHIN

ENERGY EXPENDED TO RAISE GRAIN TO HIGHEST FLOOR GLAZED FACADE ALLOWS FOR LARGE AMOUNTS OF NATURAL LIGHT WITHIN, REDUCING NEED FOR ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING DURING THE DAY

MAIN DAYLIGHTING ISSUE TO DO RISK OF GLARE CAUSING DISORIENTATION AND ACCIDENT ADDRESSED BY THE US OF A COPPER MESH CLADDING

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NOISE FROM MACHINERY IN TOWER MINIMISED BY USE OF TRIPLE GLAZING AND ACOUSTIC ABSORBENT PANELS WHERE APPROPRIATE

STRUCTURAL CONNECTIONS EXPOSED AND EASY TO MAINTAIN

WASTE HEAT VENTED UNDER OFFICE FLOOR TO PROVIDE CLIMATIC CONDITIONING

HEAT FROM MALT KILN USED TO BOIL WATER TO STEAM FOR USE ELSEWHERE IN THE PRODUCTION PROCESS

ENVIRONMENT - TOWER

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AUTOMATIC OPENING SKYLLIGHTS TRIGGERED BY GAS ALRMS SENSEING ANY DANGEROUS BUILDUP OF ALCOHOL VAPOUR

ROBSUT ARTIFICAL VENTILATION SYSTEM IN PLACE SO AS TO ENSURE THAT VAPOUR CANNOT BUILD UP TO IGNITION LEVELS WITHIN THE SPACE

THICK WALLS WITH PUNCHED WINDOWS PRIMARILY CONCEIVED AS A PREVENTATIVE MEASURE TO SOLAR GAINS. THE OVERALL TEMPERATURE OF THE INTERIOR OF THE CASK STORE IS OF MUCH LOWER CONCERN THAN ENSURING THAT ALL CASKS EXPERIENCE, AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, THE SAME ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS, WHETHER THEY BE LOCALED NEEAR THE CENTRE OR THE EDGE OF THE PLAN

THE SHARED CLIMATIC ZONE WITH THE RESTAURANT BELOW DOES NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT THE WHISKY STORED WITHIN THE BARRELS AS ALL WILL EXPERIENCE ROUGHLY SIMILAR HEATING AND COOLING EFFECTS

ENVIRONMENT - CASK STORE

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IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE DISTILELRY’S RELIANCE ON FOSSIL FUELS AND TO MAKE PRODUCTIVE USE OF WASTE WATER RICH IN ORGANIC MATERIAL, A SYSTEM OF BIO-FUEL PRODUCTION HAS BEEN CONCEIVED AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE SCHEME.

Bio fermeners are located outside, so that they do not have to be artificially ventilated to prevent vapour buildup. They are seperaed from the public by a safety mesh screen so that they can remain secure yet visible

1100mm brriers to prevent access to algae pool.

General waste water is filtered and then allowed to pool in the exterior algae pond. Over time, algae will begin to feed on the organic material in the water and bloom. After a suitable period of time, the algae can be removed from the water’s surface and used as the basis for bio-fuel production. This pond also creates a significant element of landscaping which the building embraces.

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More problematic is waste water from the still house, which has much too high a concentration of toxins and pollutants to be exposed to the open air. This water is sealed in underground tanks where bacteria begin to break it down via dark fermentation, again producing bio-fuels when can be used to power the generator for the mill and the grain lift.

BIO-FUEL PRODUCTION

WATER STRATEGY HOT WASTE WATER COOLED BY PIPING THROUGH EXPOSED COPPER PIPES WITH THE ACCESS TRENCH. RADIANT HEAT FRO M THE PIPES HELPS HEAT THE WALKERS’ REFUGES ON COLDER DAYS

BIO-FERMENTATION VATS

FINISHED PRODUCTS, WHICH ARE MUCH LESS VOLUMOUS AND MASSIVE THAN THE RAW MATERIALS CAN BE TRANSPORTED THROUGH UPHILL WITH A MINIMUM OF DISRUPTION

ALGAE POND

WASTE WATER OUTFLOEW FROM TOWER BASE TO ALGAE POND

MALT KILN USED TO HEAT WATER TO STEAM TO POWER POT STILLS

WASTE HEAT TRANSFER VIA WATER PIPES

BULK GOODS BROUGHT IN BY BARGES ON THE RIVER AXE WHEN POSSIBLE TO REDUCE VEHICULAR TRAFFIC THROUGH UPHILL VILAGE CONVERTED GREENHOUSE USES WASTE HEAT FROM THE FACILITY TO MAINTAIN A CLIMATE FOR THE GROWING OF EXOTIC BOTANICALS .162

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REGULATION THE EXCISE MAN COMETH

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POTENTIAL RISKS In any production facility such as this, there are a number of risks which must be addressed by the design:

DANGER OF FALLING

The staircase which wraps around the outside of the chimney is exterior, meaning that steps must be taken to minimise the danger of falling.

The handrail reaches a height of 1200mm and up to a height of 400mm, the railings will be covered by a steel mesh to prevent climbing.

The staircase is made from a steel grille which prevents rainwater from building up on the stair treads and provides excellent traction underfoot.

The staircase is somewhat sheltered from the worst of the weather by the rest of the production tower which helps shield it from the prevailing SW wind.

INDUSTRIAL SAFETY

This building necessarily contains several pieces of equipment which could potentially be dangerous to staff or visitors. Moving parts, high-pressure steam, and hot surfaces are all present within the building.

Efforts have been made in the design to seperate the public from moving parts, for example where the grain lift is protected by copper mesh screens, which also allow it to still remain visible.

The tower’s mesh cladding reduces glare and helps to prevent occupants becomming disoriented and accidentanly touching a hot surface.

It is important to note that all visitors to the facility will be supervised at all times by staffs, and that staff will recieve appropriate safety training.

A full risk-assessment plan will be required before the facility becomes operational.

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EXPLOSIVE SUBSTANCES

More specifically to the general risk of fire, there are several elements on the building where the risk of explosion is not neglibible.

Areas where dust or alcohol vapour may build up (for example the Mill House) will be rigorously ventilated by custom designed ventilation systems.

The most at risk area, the Still House, where the alcohol is constantly being boiled, vents the vapour in much the same way as an oil rig, burning it off via a gas flare at the top of the chimney, thus solving this potential hazard in an architecturally significant fashion.

Furthermore, an additional benefit of the coopper mesh cladding system is its conductivity to electricty, which in the event of a storm and lightning strike would conduct electricity down the outside of the building and safely to the ground, reducing the risk of sparks in the potentially volitile areas of the interior.

FIRE RISK

Aside from the obvious inherent fire risk in the production of concentrated alcohol, there are several other potential fire hazards associated with whisky production.

The milling of grain into grist and the shaping of wood into casks creates flamable dust, while the smoking of the barley in the kiln requires the safe storage of large quantities of fuel on site.

A building such as this will require an in depth fire risk assessment by a qualified fire engineer, and all staff will require specific training.

Above are highlighted those areas of the scheme where the risk of fire is elevated

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ZONE 21 ZONE 20

ZONE 2

ZONE 1 ZONE 0

MILL HOUSE

MASH HOUSE

WASH HOUSE

COOPERS’ WORKSHOP

STILL HOUSE

CASKING

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FIRE ZONING In order to design a building which has an elevated risk of catastrophic fire, it is first necessary to zone the building into areas of risk so that each may be compartmentalised to reduce the spread of fire if such a circumstance were to arise.

Flamable materials present in the building are easily identifiable and are as follows: • Stored whisky (cask strength ABV 80% approx) • Natural gas for building services • Stored Peat for malt kiln • Dust buildup in workshops and mill.

Furthermore, the presence of any hazardous explosive atmosphere must be identified and categorised.

Governmet legislation for the brewing and distilling industry requires the grouping of these areas into ‘Zones of Risk’, which are; For Gases & Vapours: • Zone 0 - Continuous Risk. Where there is a constant (i.e. more that 10% of the time) presence of an explosive atmosphere e.g. inside vessels

CASK STORE

BLENDING AREA

BOTTLING PLANT

• Zone 1 - Primary Risk - Where there is an occassional explosive atmoshere due to normal operations. e.g. Cask Store • Zone 2 - Secondary Risk - Where an explosive atmosphere is possible, but only due to abnormal operation e.g. leaking vessles For Airborne Dust: • Zone 20 - Equivilant of Zone 0 for dust e.g. inside mill • Zone 21 - Equivilant of Zone 1 for dust e.g. Mill House • Zone 22 - Equivilant of Zone 2 for dust e.g. adjacent rooms

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B1 - Means of Warning and Escape

B2 - Internal Fire Spread (Linings)

- Fire detectors and alarms will be fitted throughout the building, with the standard audio alarms suppliimented by visual warning lights for the hard of hearing.

- Fire Extinguishers (not water based due to electrical hazard) to be located throughout the buildings on fire resisting walls.

- All escape distances are within the acceptable travel distances for a building of this type (25m in one direction and 45m in more than one direction.

FIRE SAFETY - COMPLIANCE

- All facades within 1800mm of an external excape route of fore resisting construction up to a height of 1100mm.

- Automatic sprinkler systems installed in high risk areas.

- Automatic closing doors installed to seal of compartments in case of fire.

- Stair cores are kept spartan and free from combustable material

20m

- The exterior tower stair is made from a steel grille and can therefore be used as an escape stair as it is less vulnerable to adverse weather conditions.

13m

Fire Compartment Boundary

25m 25m

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- Greater regularity of fire extinguisherplacement in high risk areas e.g. cask store and plant room - Each ‘high risk’ area is compartmentalised within the building to help inhibit fire spread. (see previous page for details) - Each fire compartment seperated by walls of mimimum 60min fire rating.

- All internal finishes, especially the prevelant green-oak interior cladding to be treated to resist fire spread across its surface.

B3 - Internal Fire Spread (Structure)

B4 - External Fire Spread

B5 - Access For Fire Services

- Concrete structure of the plinth and chimney is inherently fire resistant (one of the reasons for specification)

- Building specifically sited away from existing buildings due to high fire risk and high intensity of fire if it does occur.

- The exisitng boatyard allows access of large fire engines to the building

- All structural steel work to be fire rated 60min minimum

- Potential for leaking fuel (alcohol) in the event of fire related structural failure to be minmimised by onstruction of drains and small dykes around the building to direct runoff into the lake. Fire engineer to advise.

- Due to the pin jointed nature of many of the steel connections in the tower, connection pieces to be made of specifically fire resistant steel to prevent progressive collapse.

- Each fire compartment to be independent structurally to prevent progressive collapse.

- This acess covers around 25% of the building perimeter, more than meeting Part B section 17.4.

- Dry riser to be incorporated within shaft for grain lift to allow water acess to tower.

- The service riser within the tower may need to be designed as a fire-figting shaft to allow fire service access to the taller parts of the building.

- Building to be fitted with fire main due to high fire risk.

- All structure for escape routes and cores to be fire rated 60mins minimum. This included the roof of the plinth as this forms the pedestrail access to Level 1.

Fire Compartment Fire Compartment Boundary

Fire Compartment

23m

42m

FIRE SAFETY - PART B

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Disabled Parking

1:20 Acess Ramp

Although some parts of the whisky manufacturing process such as malting and coopering are highly manual, and are thus ill-suited to those of limited mobility, the building must still cater for those in these situations, as it is entirely concievabl that such a person might work in other ares of the facility of may be a visitor to it.

Lift

Lift

Accessible Bathroom

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Hard Landscaped Path

Disabled parking has been provided in the visitor car park.

The acess route, known as the Whisky Trail ascends to +3.6m at an incline of 1:20 with flat landings every 10m, thus making it wheelchair accessibile. Handrails are places around both sides of the route.

On the other side of the building, the ramp down towards the Uphill Cliffs SSSI terminates in a hard landscaped path, allowing greater disabled access to the site than exisits currently due to trecherous ground conditions.

Although the intended visitor route is to take the lift to the Mill Hosue and circulate down via the stairs, there is no reason why a wheelchair user cannot use the lift to access every floor in turn. This simply means adding a second member of staff to tours with a wheelchair bound visitor in order to keep all members of the party safely under supervision at all times.

At the end of the tour, visitors may take a lift from the Cask Store down to the Restaurant directly, rather than doubling back to take the primary lift down.

The offices are accessible by the main lift.

All doors withing the building are 900mm wide minimum to allow wheelchair access.

Refuge

Flat route

ACCESSIBILITY - PART M

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CONSTRUCTION DESIGN MANAGEMENT

PERIMETER HOARDINGS

MATERIAL & AMBULANCE ACCESS MATERIAL STORAGE CONTRACTOR CABINS SITE ENTRANCE CRANE SITING ON FOUNDATIONS OF EXISTING

BUILDING TO BE DEMOLISHED

SITE WELLFARE (e.g. W/C)

GOODS ARRIVING VIA BARGE

CLIFF TO BE STABILISED

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EXCAVATION & DEMOLITIONS

CONSTRUCTION

RISK

ELIMINATION

REDUCTION

Landslip or Collapse

Cliff survey to be carried out before commencement of works and stabilising action taken as necessary.

Exposed rock directly above site to be covered with safety mesh.

Hazardous Materials

Survey of building to be demolished to be carried out to establish the presence of aesbestos etc.

Workers to be given appropriate safety equipment and clothing and to be trained in the handling of hazardous materials

Temporary Structural Instability

Structure to be built sequentially in order to reduce risk of collapse.

Temporary bracing to be used as necessary.

Falls from Height

Workers at height to be given appropriate safety equipment, such as harnesses where necessary.

Handrails and ballustrades to be fitted as soon as possible at height.

Falling Objects

Areas of risk to be identified and avoided during periods where work is taking place above.

Safety netting to be fixed in place.

Hard hats compulsary on site.

MAINTENANCE

Falls from Cleaning Gantry

Hardpoints for harnesses to be fixed as needed to cladding rails.

Cleaning not to be attempted in inclement weather conditions.

Burns from Attempted Cleaning of Hot Objects

All hot surfaces to be clearly signed.

Staff to be given appropriate safety training.

Cleaning to occur after a suitable period following deactivation.

USE

Accidental Damage Causing Leaks

Pressure sensors automaticall detect drops in pipe pressure.

Compulsory reporting of accidental damage by staff.

Falling Rocks Above Trench

Safety mesh to span between rock anchors

Periodic rock surveys carried out and restorative action taken.

Injury from Equipment

Visitors to be supervised at all times.

Constant CCTV in operation.

Smoking not permited within the facility.

Smoke detectors fitted throughout building.

Ballustrades at 1100mm around all potential falling hazards.

Open ballustrades covered in mesh up to 400mm

Falling from Height

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COSTS This building is, at the end of the day, a production facility, intended to make a profit for those who have invested in it. Therefore, it is imperitive that the costs of the building as well as its maintenence and upkeep are not prohibitive.

There is a reason why the vast majority of distilleries in this country are in Scotland and that has nothing to do with any sort of culture or climating difference, but is rather, they are there because they have always been there.

That is to say that most investors post 1800CE have balked at the thought of investing a huge amount of capital to build a distillery and equip it with all the necessary machinery, and pay to operate it while knowing that BY LAW, they must wait at least 3 years in order to see if there product is even any good, nevermind making a return on their investment. Thus profits can be slow to materialise.

However, new distilleries have begun to spring up all around the world in the past 30 years, and several of they techniques they have used to remain economically viable have influenced the design of the St. Nicholas Distillery in some way.

For example, running costs (which massively outweight construction costs) will be kept to a mimimum thanks to the stacking of the production process, which brings environmental and economic savings.

Additionally the production of gin and the proposition of large-number, small scale investment in the distillery as well as the profits from the visitor elements of the scheme would help to reduce the financial burden on the client in the years before the whisky is ready to be sold.

It is even possible that due to the educational aspects of the building, the client may be eligable to recieve some government funding under the apprenticeship scheme.

This will be an expensive building; with a large part of the budget going on the equipment contained within. The Mackmyra Gravity Distillery, built in 2010 by TEA, which has been used as a direct precedent for this project asigned 50% of its budget to the equipment alone. This is an inescapable expense, and thus this should be considered when evaluating the total projected costs.

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COST ESTIMATION:

3650m2 65m2 333m2

Building Gross Floor Area: Unenclosed Covered Area: Landscaped area Requiring Significant Construction/Excavation: Equipment Costs:

of Total Building Cost Pre Contractors’ Fees) 40% (of Total Building Cost) 10%

Contractor Prelims and Profits: Design & Construction Contingencies:

(of Post Contractor Fees Total) 10%

Architect’s Fee:

7%

Additional Consultants’ Fees (e.g engineers, project manager, QS...):

4%

CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATE @ Q2 2015 GFA x Cost per m2 ( = 4500 GBP) = 3650 x 4500 = 16,434,000 GPB + (65 x 3000) + (333 x 3000) = 1,182,000

SUB TOTAL A = 17,616,000 GPB EQUIPMENT COSTS = 40% OF 17,616,000 = 7,046,400 GBP CONTRACTOR PRELIMS & PROFIT = 17,616,000 + 10% of (17,616,00) = 19,377,600

SUB TOTAL B = 19,377,600 GPB DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION CONTINGENCIES = 19,377,600 + 10% of (19,377,600) = 21,315,360

SUB TOTAL C = 21,315,360 GPB ARCHITECTS’ & CONSULTANTS’ FEES = 21,315,360 + 7% of 21,315,360) + 4% of 21,315,360 = 23,660,050 STATUTORY FEES = 0.025% OF 21,315,360 = 532,884 23,660,050 + 532,884

SUB TOTAL D = 24,192,934 TOTAL PROJECT COST ESTIMATE = 24,192,934 + EQUIPMENT COSTS (7,046,400)

= 31,239,334 GPB pre VAT approx .176

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CONCLUSION THE PARTING GLASS

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Approach

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Receive

Ascend

Observe

Meditate

Imbibe

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NIGHT TIME GLOBAL

VIEW OF BUILDING AT NIGHT .181

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POST FINAL CRIT 07 . 05 . 2015

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CRITICAL ANALYSIS As with any project of this nature; there are inevitably areas which are particularly well developed and others, less so. I think it is hugely important for me to analyse clearly and objectively the strengths and weaknesses of the work presented so as to make best use of this project as the learning exercise it is.

STRENGTHS This was my first time tackling a project based primarily around a specific process, and I feel that the effort I invested early on in the project during the research phase really helped me get to grips with the practicalities of the project early on and turn these constrained into opportunities for informed design.

I feel that the project is thus believable in its execution, and furthermore, sits particularly well on its site, responding to the existing topography while at the same time rectifying issues with the site at present.

The part of any project which I particularly enjoy is its tectonic execution; a design stage which was particular import in this project as in order to make a design for a production facility such as this believable, the proposals needed a certain level of detail and resolution in this area. To that end, I invested heavily in this area of the project and I feel that the result has been successful, and due to this level of detail I feel that the tectonics of the building come across clearly in all the drawings presented, as opposed to the detail sections only.

WEAKNESSES There are areas of the scheme which I feel I could have spent more time developing, or indeed in some cases, conveying in this report. I think that although structure and environment have been discussed adequately in this report, they may have benefitted from a more in depth exploration given the type of building I chose to design and how many particularly environmental considerations went into shaping its resolution.

If I were to point to any particular issue with my brief, it would be that the visitor element of the design is inadequate for a facility of this scale. Given that distilleries make a lot of money from these visits I should perhaps have enlarged these areas of the programme. That being said, I feel that the visitor areas, and the restaurant in particular are some of the most special moments in the final scheme.

IF I HAD ANOTHER WEEK...

As previously mentioned, I would have invested more time into making the structural and environmental parts of the report more special and in-depth. Beyond this, I would also have liked to ‘zoom-out’ slightly from the building and design how it affects the landscape at a larger scale, perhaps looking at the tectonic resolution of how the existing lime kiln was to be re purposed into a greenhouse, or the dock which would need to be built to allow grain shipments to be landed.

Overall I feel that I set myself a challenge with this project, and for the most-part, I have risen to it. I am pleased with how I have worked these past months, and although the cause of a great deal of stress and anxiety, I believe that this report shows the best of the work I have produced.

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FIRST INTERIM CRIT - 26 . 02 . 15

SECOND INTERIM CRIT - 19 . 03 . 15

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TECTONIC CRIT - 15 . 04 . 15

FINAL CRIT - 08 . 05 . 15

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I think it is safe to say that this project has been both one of the most taxing, but also the most rewarding endeavours upon which I have ever embarked. Reading through this complete report gives me a sense of satisfaction not simply due to the content contained here-in but because the work on these pages represents the culmination of 4 years of hard work, in which time I have found myself studying abroad in a foreign language, working in a professional environment, learning an incredible number of new skills and of course, staying awake for longer than is probably healthy, but always learning, always developing.

At the end of it all I am thankful. Despite the hardships it was certainly worth it.

I hope that this report has adequately conveyed all which I have considered and worked on over the past 5 months, and, perhaps more importantly, that is was an enjoyable read.

SLANTÉ!

Chris

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PARTING GLASS

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