Sometimes you just know when a product hits the mark and is the right fit for your project, which is exactly how Joe Slesar, owner of the Boston BeerWorks brew pub franchise, felt when he found LiteSteel beam at his lumberyard supplier. LightSteel (LSB) beam is manufactured by LiteSteel Technologies.
“I was at our supplier reviewing product for our newest Beerworks project when I saw the literature for LiteSteel beam,” comments Slesar. “It was the perfect fit for our new location-it had the industrial look that fit with our design and it was exactly what we needed from a structural perspective.”
When Slesar mentioned LSB to his team, his architect, William Whitlock of Whitlock Architects, offered to fabricate something that would look similar and work in the same fashion. Slesar said it wasn’t necessary as this was exactly what he envisioned and he wanted to see how it functioned in his space.
“Why would I have something recreated when I had the exact product at the supplier, able to be purchased and on the job site in a matter of minutes?” asks Slesar.
The building team used LSB throughout the Hingham Beerworks’ 9,000-square-foot ground-up construction on both interior and exterior structural and finishing, for both exposed and non-exposed work. Mezzanines were even fashioned in parts of the kitchen to assist in enhancing mechanical spaces. A 100-foot patio was also designed with the main aesthetic feature being a pergola constructed out of the steel beams.
“It has definitely been cost effective. You just cut it and install it. Our carpenters like to work with it, and the cosmetic look of it almost makes it a single install,” Slesar comments.
Because of the success of the first installation and the abundance of places LSB could be used, Slesar decided to use LSB at a second location where the brew pub was being gutted to have a complete renovation in Salem, Mass.
“We will continue to use this product throughout all of our brew pubs as we grow. It has versatility and fits exactly what we need and want it to do,” says Slesar.
Owner: BeerWorks, Boston
General contractor: Slesar Brothers Brewing Co. Inc., Boston
Architect: Whitlock Architects, Waltham, Mass.
Structural steel beam: LiteSteel Technologies, Troutville, Va., www.litesteelbeam.com
