Dorchester Brewing Co. Wins AIA New England Design Award Citation

On Friday night, New England's architecture and design community virtually tuned into the AIA New England Design Awards Gala. Of more than 160 total submissions, less than twenty projects took home an award and the Dorchester Brewing Co. was one of those recipients!

The jury shared the factors behind their decisions for this year's winners, citing that The Brewery's innovative adaptive re-use of an existing building; impact on the community as a placemaking landmark; and creative use of design to stimulate local business, as some of the elements that impressed them about the project.

Boston’s first-ever contract brewery, the 12,500 SF facility, dedicated to all things beer, truly represents the community of Dorchester, one of the country’s most diverse neighborhoods in Boston and the entire country. The adaptive reuse project transformed an underutilized HVAC warehouse into a contract brewing incubator space with equipment for brewing, bottling, packaging and storing beer; a tap room; a commercial kitchen (now the home of M&M BBQ's first-ever brick and mortar location); and a rooftop "Hopservatory"—a glass and steel solarium with open-air deck. The design of the space embraces the industrial past of its Mass Ave. location, its interiors unrefined yet relaxed, warm, and inviting. The "Hopservatory” resembles a greenhouse, its design inspired by the building’s original industrial skylights.

The project utilizes its design to breathe new life into the Mass Ave. Corridor, stimulate the local craft brewing industry ;and provide an inclusionary space for the neighborhood to come together and connect. We are honored to have been recognized by the AIA and proud to have created such a one-of-a-kind transformative project.