Sustainable Influence in Urban Environments: An Exploration of Sustainable Practices in Microbreweries

This study investigates a need for sustainable urban development in cities like Toronto. The aim is to create built environments that meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation while providing spaces for the local community and city to gain sustainable education through social influence. The force behind the study was to find a suitable environment to engage with the maximum number of individuals, local and from afar, through the exposure of the said environment and word of mouth. The beginning of the researcher’s investigation proposes that the hospitality industry is the best avenue to start in. With maximum exposure to individuals of many backgrounds, the researcher provides a study as to why they believe that craft breweries are the best choice for the desired outcome. Through literature reviews of the history of beer, the societal and cultural significance craft breweries hold, case studies of successful sustainable craft brewery models and post-pandemic adaptations; the researcher provides the reader with a strong sense of design significance. An open-ended qualitative interview was also conducted with nine participants via email, phone call, video communications and an online survey. The results provided unanimous support for more sustainable environments that educate individuals and users through transparency and design. Each participant had their unique perspectives on ways to approach design solutions through technical suggestions and investigative approaches. Overall, participants are searching for hospitable spaces that reflect their values and interests; most of which are searching for sustainable business structures, as this is the modern directive for our impending climate concerns. The study continues with investigative technical analysis of the proposed building site with a rich history of the area and the building while also providing detailed charts and summaries of current environmental conditions and concerns. The study is concluded with a sense of purpose and significance with the help of illustrations of design intent from the researcher, to provide direction for the readers.