We’ve been thinking a lot about our values in the last week, and how our commitment to working toward a just community lives in harmony with the natural world. It seems farther away than ever right now, but when we recognize that these models for regenerative community and purposeful work already exist – that they are happening right here – it’s easier to see how together we can build systems that support us all.

Brian and Alyssa had the great, good fortune to meet Nicole Carrier and Annette Lee back in 2012, when they were just starting to brew beer out of a garage in North Hampton. We loved their beer, and their ethos, and they sensed a similar commitment to good work in our newly founded firm. When they purchased the historic Hobbs Farm and decided to move their brewery into its majestic barn, they invited us on a journey that has led farther than any of us imagined.

Alyssa and Nicole recently had a chance to reflect on the project with AIANH. Their presentation highlighted the many ways in which this project exemplifies all that the AIA’s definition of “Design Excellence” means – and how we can bring similar thinking to all of our projects.

The AIA Framework for Design Excellence outlines ten principles important for design at all scales. The following are some of the stories that exemplify not only how thinking about the design creates a great project, but how people build community, support local agriculture, and embody a regenerative business model that thrives.

When we recognize that models for regenerative community and purposeful work already exist – that they are happening right here – it’s easier to see how together we can build systems that support us all.

The Integration of a manufacturing business and its place is perfectly expressed by Throwback, a brewery, farm, retail store and thriving restaurant and event space. The house and barn on the 12-acre Hobbs Farm were constructed in 1862 and remodeled circa 1900.

The decision to purchase the farm, preserve the buildings, and reinvest in the land – rather to remove the building and create a subdivision as was proposed by others – is the first major step toward the magic that ensued.

It has supported Equitable Communities through providing well-paid employment, supporting community organizations, and  offering community events – from yoga to cribbage, football watch parties to Shakespeare performances. The brewery’s commitment to local ingredients led to the development not only of their own farm, but creating a network of small farmers from throughout the region from which they source their raw materials. In recent years they have donated up to two-thousand dollars of produce to local food insecurity programs.

The farm also supports the local Ecosystem by preserving the farm – raising goats, donkeys, chickens, and pigs and cultivating five acres of pesticide-free fruits and vegetables, a hop yard, and a small orchard. They have received USDA Conservation grants to support a micro-irrigation system, which uses 20 to 50 percent less water.

Brewing is a very Water-intensive manufacturing, so making sure that the wastewater doesn’t negatively affect the environs was also an important design consideration. An advanced aerobic system which allows the waste to be treated in a series of aeration chambers and settling tanks. This eliminates the release of nitrates and methane, as well as reducing the required leach field by three-quarters.

The Economy of the project is best expressed through its reuse of materials. The design preserved and adapted the original barn structure. Although the original design concept placed the brewery on the lower level and preserved the full, open barn structure above, the bank declined to finance a manufacturing facility in a “basement.”

The team considered whether adapting the barn was feasible at all and explored a new building on what is now the farm plot. Commitment to preserving the working barn led to a new, less expensive design and allowed the project to move forward.

Energy is always at the forefront of our design work, although dealing with a historic envelope took a nuanced approach. We decided not to heat the manufacturing portion of the barn, and added insulation to the roof and wall cavities, as well as new windows and an interior air barrier. The owners also added a solar roof array: 174 solar panels generate 60,465 kilowatt-hours of electricity, or about 35% of energy used on site.

It’s sort of clear how beer contributes to Wellbeing, but beyond the obvious benefits of enjoying a pint with friends, Throwback has supported various activities to move the mind, body, and spirit. They routinely host yoga classes, ping pong tournaments, bike rides, and a recent couch-to-5k challenge. Farm days and flower picking also allow people to engage with nature in a unique way.

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The reuse of Resources may be the dominant story of the barn adaptation. The original structure was reused but modified to accommodate the brewery tanks and adequate headroom. Wood from the barn floor, stalls, doors, etc. were repurposed into new flooring, tables, toilet partitions and the decorative bar front. A real collaboration between Placework and the builder, Milestone Engineering and Construction, made this approach a success.

A design flexible to future Change is endemic to the barn typology, and this flexibility has born out over time at Throwback. The development of a thriving restaurant based on their local produce necessitated an expanded kitchen within the first few years, and a shed structure was easily added to accommodate this need, as well as a retail store. An area of the barn that was left untouched – the original dairy – was rebuilt to accommodate group functions. The second floor of the barn is currently used as storage but may be transformed to serve another use in the future.

The design, construction and almost ten years of functioning in the space have supported Discovery. As the architects, we discovered a passion for adaptive reuse – an interest that has become central to our work. The owners discovered that investment in their community not only aligned with their personal ethos but was also a winning strategy for their business. As a pioneering women-owned business, they have won awards for their beer, their preservation and adaptation of the farm, and their business. And we both discovered the power of community – the connections which sustain us as businesses and people and will continue to do so!