PHOTOS: San Francisco’s Southern Pacific Brewing is a Tree-Filled Beer Sanctuary in a Renovated Warehouse

San Francisco's brand new <a href="http://www.southernpacificbrewing.com/">Southern Pacific Brewing</a> is set to open tonight, and we got a chance to sneak a peak at this stunningly <a href="http://www.missionmission.org/2012/01/25/southern-pacific-brewing-is-gonna-be-a-sick-new-option-for-happy-hour-lunch-brunch-saturday-night-and-whenever-else/">renovated industrial space</a> before its official debut! I caught up with owner Christopher Lawrence yesterday to take a look inside the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/adaptive-reuse/">adaptive reuse</a> project by <a href="http://www.boorbridges.com/">Boor Bridges Architecture</a>, who transformed the Mission District's aging C.A. Kilger Machine Works into a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/daylighting/">sunlight-suffused</a> brewery and pub that makes beautiful use of recycled materials and even incorporates <a href="http://inhabitat.com/amazing-japanese-kindergarten-circles-around-a-mythic-tree/">living trees</a> into the interior. Read on for a first look at the green building strategies behind this incredible project - including furnishings made of reclaimed wood from the renovation, massive skylights, and a glittering glass facade that looks out onto Portrero Hill.

<a href="http://www.southernpacificbrewing.com/">Southern Pacific Brewing</a> 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.

The bar itself features a tap made from an old metal I-beam that was reclaimed from the Mission's <a href="http://home.earthlink.net/~minhnghia/theater.html">Wigwam Theater</a>, which opened in 1913 and was known by many different names (including Cine Latino, New Rialto Theatre, and Crown Theatre) before it closed in 1987.

The backsplash (along with lots of other surfaces in the brewery) is made of salvaged wood reclaimed from an old barn on Lawrence's parent's property in Mendocino. These rough-hewn materials add a beautiful weathered element to the space that warms up the structure's old industrial bones.

After clearing a year's worth of permitting hurdles and red tape, the first step that owners Anthony LaVia and Chris Lawrence took with <a href="http://www.boorbridges.com/">Boor Bridges Architecture</a> was to sift through the history of the site and draw inspiration for the project. The brewery's name comes from the old <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Pacific_Transportation_Company">Southern Pacific rail line</a> that terminated near the site and inspired the space's rustic boxcar-esque interior.

<a href="http://www.southernpacificbrewing.com/">Southern Pacific Brewing</a> will open with a selection of five beers brewed on-site by Andy French of (<a href="http://www.goodbeer.com/SWF/index.html">Speakeasy</a> brewery fame), in addition to a full bar <a href="http://www.southernpacificbrewing.com/menu">menu</a> created by Chef Tyler Moorish.

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.

Boor Bridges Architecture replaced the warehouse's grime-covered skylights and carving out a massive new glazed facade for the building's entrance.

The brewery will offer standing occupancy for 300 people and 100 indoor seats - many of which were custom-built by neighboring studio <a href="http://ohiodesign.com/">Ohio Design</a> using douglas fir reclaimed from the machine shop's old mezzanine.

This view from the new mezzanine shows one of the living indoor trees and furniture made of reclaimed wood from the renovation.

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.

After clearing a year's worth of permitting hurdles and red tape, the first step that owners Anthony LaVia and Chris Lawrence took with <a href="http://www.boorbridges.com/">Boor Bridges Architecture</a> was to sift through the history of the site and draw inspiration for the project.

Southern Pacific Brewing makes beautiful use of recycled and salvaged materials.

Detail shot of salvaged wood reclaimed from a barn on Lawrence's Parent's property in Mendocino.

Reclaimed vintage sinks in the bathroom keep material use to a minimum.

If you live in San Francisco then don't miss the grand debut of <a href="http://www.southernpacificbrewing.com/">Southern Pacific Brewing</a> tonight at 7pm - I'll see you there!