Fullsteam

Durham, NC

2010

We were thrilled to partner with Sean Wilson in the early visioning of the original Fullsteam, a community-focused craft brewery in the heart of downtown Durham. From the start, Sean’s passion for beer with a Southern sensibility inspired our team to design a space that could flexibly support brewing, tasting, music, and dining under one industrial-chic roof.

The design centered on balancing functionality with hospitality, creating zones for a front-of-house tasting and music area, a spacious brew floor, and efficient back-of-house support. Separating the building into a smaller conditioned space and a larger non-conditioned space (with an oversized ceiling fan) allowed the customers to choose the space that worked best for them. The front entry seating area and the side garden both welcomed dog friends as well.

Fullsteam’s design celebrates reuse and local grit—integrating discarded industrial control panels from Liggett and Myers (check spelling on this) was a hoot. It’s an adaptive reuse project rooted in connection, creativity, and craft. We were honored to help bring this vibrant community hub to life.