Happy Holidays from our workshop! Thank you for your continued trust and collaboration as we wrap up another year of designing in our community.
Rush + Judy Dixon | Rush Dixon Architects
14th Annual Chef's Potluck @ Firefly Distillery
Lowcountry Local First’s legendary ‘Chef’s Potluck’ fundraising event, which pairs Charleston area chefs with local farmers, fishermen and ranchers, will be held this year at the Firefly Distillery in North Charleston, SC. Rush Dixon Architects is delighted to be one of the sponsors for this 14th annual event which will be held on May 22. Get your tickets or register to volunteer HERE . Proceeds from the event benefit the organization’s mission to cultivate an equitable economy anchored in local ownership.
It is always exciting when worlds collide; especially when they are both forces of good in the community. In this case, Lowcountry Local First, an organization that we have been members of for years that advocates for the local economy including our small business and a wonderful client, Firefly Distillery. When we were working on the design of their North Charleston facility, in addition to the distillery, tasting room and gift shop functions, the notion of creating spaces for gatherings and events of all sizes was a priority. To see their success in hosting concerts, parties and now a signature event is exciting.
The 2022 Chef’s Potluck participating restaurants include:
The 2022 beverage providers include:
More partners will be announced in the coming weeks so check back on the LLF website for more information and to get your tickets!
North Charleston Flag Design
Earlier this year, the City of North Charleston, SC announced a public competition for the design of a new City flag in honor of North Charleston’s 50th anniversary this year. The goal was to improve upon the existing flag design, which utilizes the City’s seal, to create a less complex and more meaningful graphic. Creators were urged to review the North American Vexillological Association’s elements for a good flag design. For reference ‘vexillology’ is the scientific study of the history, symbolism, and usage of flags or, by extension, any interest in flags in general. Elements to consider include:
Keep It Simple: The design should be enough that a child can draw it from memory.
Use Meaningful Symbolism: Images, colors or patterns should relate to what the flag symbolizes.
Use Two or Three Basic Colors: Limit the number of colors to three standard colors which contrast well.
No Lettering or Seals: Never incorporate writing of any kind or an organizations seal
Be Distinctive or Related: Avoid duplicating other flags, but use similarities to show connections
For a more animated take on the subject, one of our favorite podcasts, 99 Percent Invisible has a great episode on flag design.
Since our architectural studio is located in North Charleston and we apparently can’t pass up a design challenge, we decided to create a submission which references some of North Charleston’s history as well as a nod to the current events and future of the city. After much research and understanding that the flag could only include so many components we distilled the references into the following:
Edges: The edges of the flag are an abstract nod to railroad tracks and the jagged shoreline of the shipyard.
Diagonal Lines: Represent the Ashley and Cooper Rivers
Central Circle: References Park Circle, the community and citizens of North Charleston. The white circle is dynamic; as if in rotating motion. The two halves wrapping around each other in a yin + yang fashion. Symbolic of a modern city that grapples with complex and opposing social issues: History v. Future, Natural Environment v. Development, Economic Growth v. Gentrification, Racial Equity v. Bias, Crime v. Punishment.
Blue Color: updated from the previous flag and inspired by the SC flag, this color represents the nearby waterways and the night sky.
Star: Depicted is the 8-pointed star of the compass, a nod to navigation and the guiding light that the North Star has provided through history. As a symbol, the North Star depicts a beacon of inspiration and hope to many. For a city it may symbolize its aspiration and guiding principles. A unifying symbol for this young and thriving city to the geographic North of Charleston.
See the 10 images below for our formal submission to the City:
Yesterday we were informed that our flag design is one of 10 finalists selected from a field of 160. Click HERE to see the 10 finalists and to provide feedback to the City.
The massing of the new Firefly Distillery in North Charleston, SC was inspired by the horse barn that the distillery first occupied. The exterior design marries the distillery’s history with the industrial vibe of the area and distillery manufacturing component.
Firefly Distillery | Good Times. Great Spirits.
When we began the design for Firefly Distillery’s new facility, the first step was to visit their existing distillery and tasting room on Wadmalaw Island, SC to learn their history, better understand their brand, see their process, and sample some spirits. (Spoiler alert: they’re good.) Before putting pen to paper, it was important for us to know how Firefly started, where they are going, how they differentiated themselves in the industry and thus what functional spaces and visitor experiences to help create within the architecture.
The next couple of years included distillery research (see our Distillery Homework blog), design iterations and construction. The new facility opened in February 2020 and enjoyed a few weeks of hosting a record breaking number of visitors before the pandemic dialed down indoor gatherings. Firefly was able to pivot their distilling efforts to produce hand sanitizer to meet the moment and are now able to safely host visitors at the outdoor courtyard, tastings on the porch and socially distanced outdoor concerts.
Highlights of our research and how it dovetailed into our design
Firefly is a locally owned, family business who was one of the South Carolina Lowcountry’s best kept secrets until their inspired collaboration with the neighboring Charleston Tea Garden yielded ‘Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka’. Ever since, they have enjoyed a national audience and are a destination for tours, tastings and events. Therefore the building program included a gift shop, distillery, bottling line, lab, a tasting room, spirits retail section and multiple places for events (weddings, receptions, smaller meetings and outdoor concerts.)
The Firefly brand is southern, approachable, and laid back in the best way possible; think sitting on your porch with a drink in your hand, friends nearby and bluegrass playing in the background. This told us that while this will be a brand new, code-compliant facility, there should be moments of patina and casualness. Specialty craftspeople really brought the ‘soul’ into this new building. Shout out to coppersmiths, Khalima Lights for their handmade light fixtures, Limelight for the signage installation, Gil Shuler for the branding graphics and Lowcountry Case + Millwork for sourcing the reclaimed wood and executing our barrel stave design.
The Firefly folks, while innovative and forward-thinking, are also nostalgic and rustic with a side order of DIY. This inspired us to deconstruct wooden bourbon barrels in the back of our studio and incorporate them into the bar and light fixture designs as well as source reclaimed wood for paneling and metal roofing from a former Firefly structure as an interior accents.
The tasting bar design was born from deconstructing wooded barrels and alternating the position resulting in a varied texture and color rooted in distillery life. Bar counter is a custom copper fabrication. Beyond the bar is the spirits retail display where visitors can purchase bottles. Custom display / cabinetry designed by Rush Dixon Architects and crafted by Lowcountry Case + Millwork.
Copper nails make up the Firefly logo behind the check out counter. (Shout out to Limelight Signs for the many, many, many hours of hammering to get this effect.)
The gift shop greets visitors with a soaring, reclaimed wood clad vaulted space.
The day we discovered Khalima Lights, a local husband and wife team that handcrafts custom light fixtures, was a good day. Located on Wadmalaw Island, they produced all of the specialty lighting. Shown here are deconstructed barrel stave “clouds” designed by Rush Dixon Architects with Khalima’s Waycaster pendant and Edison bulbs.
The gallery where tour groups gather to begin the guided distillery tour, showcases Firefly Distillery’s history and process. Gil Shuler and Limelight were the MVPs of the info graphics and execution.
The distillery and tank room where the magic happens. Special thanks to Vendome Copper and Dalkita.
After the distillery tour, visitors are invited to a tasting bar to sample spirits of their choice. The back bar was designed to allow for the current Firefly spirit products to be displayed. Reclaimed metal roofing and wood was utilized to provide a rustic feel.
Close up of the spirits retail display which needed to be locked down during events. Rolling barrel stave screens slide to secure the products while maintaining visual connection.
We don’t know much, but we do know how to keep good company. See below for some of the all-star collaborators and craftspeople:
Seamon Whiteside: Civil Engineering + Landscape Architecture
ADC Engineering: Structural Engineering
Charleston Engineering: Mechanical, Plumbing, Electrical, Fire Protection Engineering
Dalkita: Distillery Consultant
Trident Construction: General Contractor
Gil Shuler: Graphic Design + Branding
Limelight Custom Sign Company: Signage
Khalima Lights: hand-made specialty lighting
Lowcountry Case + Millwork: interior millwork including tasting bars, spirits retail display, reclaimed wood paneling and barrel stave details.
Chris Smith Photography: All photographs