Brooklyn Brewery Expansion Plan
Brooklyn, New York

77,400 sf • LEED SILVER (TARGET) • With Arup

Davis Brody Bond and Arup engaged in an ambitious expansion plan for the Brooklyn Brewery that encompassed their relocation from the current location in Williamsburg to the Brooklyn Navy Yard (Building 77), as well as the potential establishment of a new production facility in Staten Island. The expansion plan was designed to support the continued growth and evolution of Brooklyn Brewery, reinforce their global identity, centralize production, minimize reliance on contract-based production and contribute to industrial job creation across the boroughs. The 77,400 sf program for Building 77 included a 29,121 sf ground floor brewery, 16,541 gsf of office space, and a 31,738 gsf rooftop beer garden and terrace.

Maintaining Brooklyn Brewery’s unique identity and culture was one of the greatest challenges for the project. The design team developed specific sustainability initiatives for both the new headquarters and visitor experience, as well as the production facility. Brooklyn Brewery has built this into their storytelling strategy, which serves as a major component in the preservation of their brand. Together with the brewery, the design team devised an integrated approach that considers five focal points: People, Waste, Energy, Efficiency and Green Roof strategies. The base building for the new headquarters is scheduled to be LEED Silver, however, the team is also pursuing other standards, such as WELL, and continuing to refine their goals and aspirations for the project. An on-site clean power plan is part of this set of initiatives, as is the use of solar energy.

This and other projects at the Brooklyn Navy Yard are part of a larger initiative to make the yard more public, and to show that things are still being made in Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Navy Yard will ultimately provide a stable home for local manufacturers. Its historical context of industrial activity and the production of warships for the US Navy through World War II provide the perfect environment for adaptive re-use, on behalf of the industries and the local creators that are redefining Brooklyn as a global destination.

(Renderings by Neoscape)