A person walking along a gravel path approaching a modern black restaurant building with a sign that says "Lusting Jo" surrounded by a field and trees with yellow and green leaves under a partly cloudy sky.

Lasting Joy Brewery

Lasting Joy is a farm brewery located on a 31 acre parcel of former agricultural land in the Hudson Valley. An existing barn was repurposed as the brewery portion of the program, and a new, purpose-built tasting room space was constructed. The tasting room is composed of a glulam structural frame and cross-laminated timber roof. The space is defined by its structural system, along with a fully glazed enclosure and exterior weathering-steel cladding. Though the enclosure is entirely glass, the interior has the character of a room made of wood as the trusses are very tightly spaced, and the CLT roof deck is left exposed. The inversely raised roof floods the space with natural light.

AIA New York State 2023 Honor Award

AIANY 2024 Merit Award

Chicago Atheneum 2024 International Architecture Award

Sketch of a building with a distinctive V-shaped roof, support columns, and a wall illuminated by a yellow light on the left side.

The new tasting room was conceived as a pavilion -- an uplifting, light-filled space to facilitate a strong connection to the site, where ingredients used in the beer-making process are grown.

Natural light, views of the landscape, and materiality were critical design considerations. The tasting room’s relationship to the existing barn was studied closely, as well as the approach experience to the building. Visitors arrive along a winding path up and over a hill, as the building gradually reveals itself. Once inside the tasting room, views are solely of the open property.

Diagrams of three different building designs with various roof styles, including a modern structure with large glass windows, a traditional house with a pitched roof, and a long, low building with a flat roof.
Modern open-air pavilion with rusted metal walls, wooden accents, and benches outside during dusk, with trees on the left and an open landscape on the right.
Modern building with rust-colored walls and wooden slatted balcony, surrounded by trees and a grassy lawn.
Modern building with rust-colored walls and wooden slatted balcony, surrounded by trees and a grassy lawn.
Modern building with rust-colored metal panels, large glass windows, and a wooden louvered facade, surrounded by outdoor seating and trees in autumn.

The material palette was chosen to reflect the natural tones of the project’s Hudson Valley location. In particular, the weathering steel cladding references the rusted farm equipment that now dots former farm fields throughout the region.

The exterior passive solar screen was designed to shield the glass enclosed interior. The screen naturally keeps the space cool in the summer and warm in the winter, while maintaining a bright interior that requires no artificial lighting during the daytime. Visually, the screen -- which is constructed from the same weathering steel as the other exterior cladding -- provides a striking figure, set against the backdrop of the existing trees throughout the seasons.

Interior of a modern space with wooden beams, large windows, a central bar with a vase of green foliage, and seating including a beige sofa, black chair, and a leather armchair.
Interior view of a modern building with vertical wooden beams, glass walls, and hanging rectangular light fixtures, showcasing natural light and architecture.
Photo of a modern rectangular ceiling light fixture mounted on a wooden wall with a window and blurred outdoor landscape in the background.

As a contrast to the brawnier steel exterior, the interior space is a light-filled, soaring volume, with warm natural materials and expansive views of the surrounding landscape. The structure is composed of a glulam frame and CLT (cross-laminated timber) roof, left exposed and natural. The hexagonal bar is designed to float in the center of the space in order to keep the exterior glass walls unobstructed.

Custom hanging light sconces were designed as an integral part of the architecture. Suspended from each truss, they help define the rhythm of the building’s structure. All mounting channels and wiring paths were CNC milled into the glulam structure at the factory to allow for seamless installation on site.

In the evening, the up-lit wood ceiling creates the effect of a glowing lantern, visible throughout the property.

Modern building with large glass windows showing interior bar and seating area, wooden exterior, and a slatted roof design, outdoor benches, and a ground pathway at night with lighting and trees in the background.
Architectural section of a building with a sloped roof, exposed structural beams, and a central table.
Architectural exploded view of a house construction showing the foundation and frame, with a garage, walls, and a roof section separated and above the main house structure.
Hands assembling a wooden architectural model of a building with a flat roof and multiple sections.
A modern bathroom with a sloped ceiling featuring a skylight, a large mirror, a white countertop with a sink, a glass vase with white flowers, a wall-mounted light fixture, a stainless steel bathroom stall, and a polished concrete floor.
Close-up of a modern kitchen island with a marble countertop, wooden legs, and matching bar stools with wooden frames and cushions.
A man inspecting large wooden wine or beer fermentation tanks inside a winery or brewery.
Close-up of a modern black door handle with wooden accents on a glass door.

Credits

Architecture and Interior Design: Auver

Structural Engineering: Murray Engineering

Civil and M.E.P. Engineering: Taconic Engineering

Contractor: Rondack Construction

Photography: Eric Petschek