The Braselton Cotton Gin was constructed c.1920 by the Braselton Brothers as part of a larger complex of cotton-related structures in the downtown section of the city they founded. Historically, the gin was associated with brick cotton warehouses, a seed storage building, and a general store, all owned and operated by the Braseltons. A Georgia DOT road construction project in 2014 changed traffic flow through the town, and Davis Street became a primary east-west thoroughfare. The Gin, formerly tucked behind the Braseltons’ cotton warehouses, now fronts onto Braselton’s “main” street. This new prominence made the Gin building a prime candidate for adaptive reuse. In this case, a local restaurateur hired Arcollab to design a brewery and eatery within the Gin building.
The rehabilitation design of the project incorporates a modern, industrial feel, using steel and glass, to create new uses within the shell of the historic Gin building. While the historic steel frame and corrugated steel skin were retained on the front and sides of the building, the back wall was modified with large openings to allow greater flow to a rear patio. A kitchen addition on the back supports the restaurant. About one-third of the space within the Gin building is dedicated to the new brewery. The vaulted interior space remains open, and we carefully planned modifications to the outside walls to allow for wall insulation, but without affecting the visual character of the interior.
The Gin building meets the expectations for function and comfort of a modern building, while preserving the historic fabric and unique qualities of a hundred-year-old industrial building.
