SAN DIEGO, CA – Smith Consulting, in concert with Serbia Consulting Group, a La Jolla-based corporate real estate consulting and project management firm, has been playing an integral role in the proliferation of San Diego’s craft brewing industry by assisting two local firms with their facility expansion projects.
“Growth of the micro brewing industry within the San Diego region has been tremendous, and with it has come the need to move to larger facilities or expand and improve upon the efficiency of their existing space,” said Mark Langan, vice president of Smith Consulting Architects.
“Extensive experience in the manufacturing and biotech industries, together with a solid understanding of their infrastructure and jurisdictional requirements, have put us in a good position to assist these companies with their expansion plans.”
White Labs, a leader in the craft brewing movement since the early 90s, tapped Smith Consulting Architects and Serbia Consulting Group for its newly purchased 14,400-square-foot building within the Mark II Business Park (middle right photo) at 9495 Candida St. in the Mira Mesa area of San Diego, where it wanted to consolidate its facilities and expand production.
The remodeling project involved design and build-out of clean room production facilities (top centered photo) with steam, CIP, and compressed air; lab spaces; distribution areas; offices; and a classroom for educating about the craft beer industry. The remodel project was completed in July 2011.
With offices in California and Colorado, White Labs provides a wealth of pure yeast and fermentation services not only for brewers, but also for winemakers, distillers and various fermentation businesses.
The company moved to its larger facility from a former location in the Miramar area. White Labs President Chris White (middle left photo) and company Vice President Lisa White (lower right photo) provided project oversight.
The project team for the new White Labs facility consisted of Serbia Consulting Group as the project manager, Smith Consulting Architects as architect/space planner, Pacific Rim Mechanical as mechanical/plumbing engineer, Berg Electric as the electrical engineer, and Good & Roberts as the general contractor. Todd Davis of Cassidy Turley BRE Commercial was the broker
Ballast Point, a San Diego homegrown brewing company, required increased capacity to meet growing demand for its innovative beer. The solution was doubling their facility to 23,600 square feet by expanding into the second half of its existing building in Scripps Ranch. The scope of work for the expansion project included the addition of a 3,500-square-foot cold storage room, additional fermenting tanks, a new production line, as well as general upgrades to the building and site.
Smith Consulting Architects worked closely and proactively with Russ Gibbon at the City of San Diego Development Services Department and Planning Division to achieve cost effective approaches to multiple project challenges.
“We were able to re-specify the uses per code, allowing the facility to be completely open and the view of the brewing process to be much more impressive,” said Langan.
The project team for the Ballast Point expansion, completed in October of 2011, consisted of Serbia Consulting Group as project manager, Smith Consulting Architects as architect/space planner, Pacific Rim Mechanical as mechanical/plumbing engineer, Cooper Electric as electrical engineer, and Good & Roberts as general contractor.
Established in 1996 by beer devotees Jack White (lower left photo) and Yuseff Cherney, Ballast Point employs a dedicated team of craftsmen (and craftswomen) who are dedicated to the art and innovation of beer brewing, continually trying new methods and ingredients to expand the brewery’s offerings. The company grew out of Home Brew Mart, a home brewer’s nirvana now located in Linda Vista, filled with the supplies, ingredients and advice home brewers need to make better beer at home.
Founded in 1988 by Cheryl (Dennie) Smith (bottom right photo), Smith Consulting Architects is a multi-discipline design firm providing full-service planning, architecture and interior design.
In addition to corporate headquarters and office facilities, the company has specialized expertise in retail, R&D, life science, complex manufacturing, and industrial facilities.
Smith Consulting Architects is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council, with extensive expertise in sustainable design. Smith Consulting Architects is comprised of 21 design and support professionals, with offices located in San Diego and Palm Desert, Calif.
“This agreement is a good fit for our growing infrastructure program,” said Joseph Dear (top left photo), CalPERS Chief Investment Officer. “It’s an income-generating investment with stable revenues located in the United States, very much in line with the type of investment we said we would be looking to make when we described our vision for infrastructure in September.”
