To meet growing demand, Woodinville Whiskey sought a larger facility to process and age its spirits. A 10-acre site in Quincy, Washington—set within the grain fields used to produce the company’s whiskey—was chosen for a multi-phase expansion that consolidates operations while accommodating future growth. The first phase includes a processing and bottling building with corporate offices and a barrel rickhouse for aging. A second rickhouse is currently underway, with four more planned in future phases.
Project Name: Woodinville Whiskey Processing and Barrel-Aging Facility
Studio Name: Graham Baba Architects
Location: Quincy, Washington
The buildings are substantial—40 to 70 feet wide and up to 400 feet long—establishing a monumental presence within the agricultural landscape. Despite their scale, the architecture is deliberately restrained, drawing from the region’s agricultural warehouses and the ricking houses of the American South. Inspired by Woodinville’s original distillery and tasting facility (also designed by Graham Baba Architects), the design balances industrial functionality with a clear expression of brand identity. Simple massing responds to pragmatic needs such as vehicle circulation and loading, while the rectilinear gabled forms and dark brown palette echo the company’s signature aesthetic. Cladding of dark metal siding and Kebony wood, paired with large Corten-clad sliding barn doors, gives the buildings warmth and character.
Prefabricated metal structures provided a cost-effective framework, while crafted details were reserved for points of human interaction. At the process building, a slim canopy folds upward to reveal a Corten-clad core and oversized pivot door. A vertical window transitions from wall to ceiling, becoming a skylight that marks the shift between office and production areas. Additional daylight enters through horizontal windows framing the farmland, a row of rooftop skylights, and photovoltaic panels that generate renewable power. Salvaged steel and Douglas fir stairs from the Woodinville facility were repurposed here, connecting past and present—complete with signatures from patrons along the stair stringer. On the exterior, a super-graphic “Woodinville Whiskey Co.” sign spans the north façade, recalling the bold branding painted on distilleries and rickhouses from Kentucky to Scotland.
The barrel rickhouses, with their shallow gabled roofs, rectilinear forms, and rhythmic windows, reference traditional whiskey aging structures while performing the same essential role. Eastern Washington’s climate of hot days and cool nights drives the expansion and contraction of the spirit within charred oak barrels, producing the rich, oaken profile distinctive of bourbon and rye. Uninsulated and unconditioned, the rickhouses intensify this natural aging process. Once matured, the whiskey is bottled in the processing facility and distributed across nearly half the United States.
Future phases includes a public tasting room with a bar, views into the production area, and patios overlooking fields of rye, corn, and wheat. Elevated above the landscape, the tasting room will immerse visitors in the agricultural setting, offering a true grain-to-glass experience unique in the region.
