Grizzly Paw Brewery

Canmore, AB, Canada

The Grizzly Paw Restaurant, Bar and Brewery needed to expand its production facilities within the small mountain town of Canmore. A high-profile location beside the Trans-Canada Highway was chosen and a high impact design was requested. The location meant that the base of the building would be obscured by trees but the top would be visible from the town and highway. A simple industrial base with a typical Canmore style vaulted roof seemed like the natural solution.  

The dynamic roof floats over the strong dark form of the base and is held up by a forest of heavy timbers. During design the construction cost of steel escalated which secured heavy timber as the material of choice for the structure not just decorative elements. To protect the heavy timber structure from the brewing environment a timber frame exoskeleton was proposed. The lower two levels for maturation and storage are standard industrial insulated steel panels while the third floor, where the brewhouse and restaurant are, have glazed panels between the heavy timber structure allowing light and views of the Rocky Mountains.

The building won the North American Wood Council Award and the Prairie Wood Design Award for innovative use of wood in an industrial building.

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