Page 15 - StonecrestAnnual2017

Left: Interior retail space of distillery; Top right: Founders of Willibald Distillery with
Project Lead, BramVan den Heuvel; Bottom right: Original century bank barn prior
to projecct commencment

Renovating the existing century barn located on the van der heritage structure as possible. One of the 40’ by 60’ structures

Heyden farm in Ayr, Ontario, would require extensive review of the houses the retail/tasting area with a storage mezzanine and the

existing structure including the foundation and timber-framed other half houses the imported German distillery equipment.

barn. Stonecrest Engineering started reviewing the existing Between April and November 2015, construction continued from

facility in 2014, keeping in mind the intention for the distillery footing pours to the framing of the overall structure.

was to utilize as much of the existing facilities as possible. The Since the start of the planning process in early 2014, with

intended design was to provide onsite storage and processing the assistance of Stonecrest Engineering for their design and

of farm-grown and locally grown grains, made available for sale engineering, including the review of the existing facilities to

through a retail outlet located in the facility. assistance in the design of the new facility, Willibald Distillery has

With extensive review to utilize as much of the existing heritage now taken on a popularity of its own.

structure as possible in the completed design, construction In The Record’s recent article, Nolan van der Heyden, one of

was started in April 2015, with removal of the existing concrete the three founders and who does the bulk of the distilling,

foundation to the north of the barn and retain the stone summarized their excitement for the future of Willibald.

foundation and barn structure that formed the century bank “Everything we’ve been working so hard for, it’s all here now. It’s

barn. The intention was to replace the wood structure of the super exciting.” states Nolan. “Putting that first label on the bottle

existing 40x60 bank barn and rebuild two approximately 40’ was surreal. Because it’s like now all your hard work is going out

by 60’ structures connected by an 11’ by 40’ entranceway/ into other people’s hands.”

office/washroom, using as much of the existing timber from the

“Everything we’ve been working so hard for, it’s all here now. It’s super exciting. Putting that first

label on the bottle was surreal. Because it’s like now all your hard work is going out into other

people’s hands.” - Nolan van der Heyden, The Record, May 2017

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