Old Bushmills Distillery

Overview

Old Bushmills Distillery, nestled within the outstanding beauty of the north coast, has been distilling whiskey for over 400 years and are the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world. Generations of craft and experience ensure that the whiskeys produced by Bushmills are amongst the most celebrated and the most savoured in the industry.

In early 2019, the distillery commissioned a design team led by Doran Consulting and embarked on the development of Bushmills Distillery no.2, now affectionately known as the Causeway Distillery in honour of its close neighbouring landmark. The new 39,000 sq ft distillery facility aims to blend the latest industry technology with ancient craft and experience to effectively double production at the Bushmills site, reducing energy usage by 30%, and boosting material consumption efficiency by up to 10%, helping to place Bushmills among the leading single malt whiskey producers globally.

The design of the distillery was sculpted around the production process, incorporating the years of knowledge and experience of Bushmills staff with the expertise of the building design team and process design partners. The scheme utilised latest BIM modelling technologies to great effect, co-ordinating the building frame, fabric and services around the process equipment, considering installation of the equipment, as well as maintenance and operation requirements.

The new facility was constructed within the existing Old Bushmills campus, where ground conditions were particularly challenging. The facility was designed to fully integrate within the overall Old Bushmills operating facility and align with existing fire water and containment requirements. The scheme was undertaken with a sustainable approach in relation to use and sourcing of materials as well as a sustainable drainage and containment system.

The construction of the new distilling facility was undertaken throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and stands as a testament to the hard work and determination of the client team, design team and delivery partners.

The presentation aims to provide an overview of the project, the challenges faced and how these were overcome via collaborative and innovative working to deliver a world class facility.