Southern Pacific Brewing is the newest brewpub in San Francisco’s Mission District, situated in a renovated warehouse a stone’s throw off the the beaten path at 19th and Treat. After clearing a year’s worth of permitting hurdles and red tape, the first step that owners Anthony LaVia and Chris Lawrence took with Boor Bridges Architecture was to sift through the history of the site and draw inspiration for the project. The brewery’s name comes from the old Southern Pacific rail line that terminated near the site and inspired the space’s rustic boxcar-esque interior.

In addition to these historic roots the team found a “treasure trove of raw building materials” leftover from the time when the nearly 10,000 square foot space was owned and operated by C.A. Kilger Machine Works. They set to work putting these reclaimed materials to good use while replacing the warehouse’s grime-covered skylights and carving out a massive new glazed facade for the building’s entrance. The brewery’s expansive space, combined with the abundance of natural light filtering down from above, makes it feel like a daylit sanctuary – an impression strengthened by the two planted trees, which should have no problem thriving in the airy environment.

All photos by Mike Chino for Inhabitat

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