After 21 years in their original production facility on Seattle’s Capitol Hill, Fran’s Chocolates secured a lease on 31,500 sq. ft. of space in a project that renovated and expanded the original Rainier Brewery in Seattle, which almost doubled their space. The new location also allowed Fran’s to offer a better commute for most of their staff, alternative transportation options, and convenient access to the thriving hip neighborhood of Georgetown. The interior design of the new headquarters is an authentic extension of the company’s commitment to quietly creating the exceptional. With polished original marble tile, exposed original Carnegie Steel-cast ironwork and exposed brick, the office, retail area and tasting room elegantly express the history of the Brew House put to new use and exemplifying the stewardship ethic that is leading to the project’s LEED certification at the Platinum level.

O’Brien360 provided early facilitation to bring additional team members like FSi Consulting Engineers and the Integrated Design Lab (IDL) to craft a Platinum approach to the design of both the renovated Brew-House and the expanded warehouse area as it was turned into a bright, clean, and comfortable production, packaging, storage, and shipping facility. IDL helped analyze