When Alterra Coffee Roasters chose a former industrial site in Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood for their new headquarters and roasting facility, their goal was to give back to the community by restoring the long-vacant brownfield site to productive use.

The resulting facility has transformed an eyesore into an engaging, pedestrian-friendly experience. Retail shops and native plantings enliven the street-level facade, and a cafe with prominent outdoor patio seating offers the community a place to gather. Materials such as weather-worn woods, rusted steel beams, smooth and textured concrete, handmade bricks, corrugated steel and unfinished plywood planks feel at home among the neighborhood’s warehouses and manufacturing buildings. A north-facing sawtooth roof recalls the language of this industrial context while also providing abundant natural daylighting for interior production and office spaces.

The designers kept their goals of remediation and rehabilitation at the forefront throughout the process, sourcing recycled materials whenever possible.