Halfway Crooks Brewery

Designed while Holden was at Square Feet Studio, Halfway Crooks Beer transformed a century-old building into Georgia’s first on-premise brewery and became an early catalyst in the redevelopment of Atlanta's Summerhill neighborhood. The design process was an intimate journey into the backgrounds of the owners—a Belgian-born master brewer, an electrical engineer turned talented home-brewer, and a retired surgeon—as well as the history of the neighborhood and the deep layers of memory embedded within the plaster walls of the building itself.Drawing from the brewmaster's upbringing on a sheep farm and his fond memories of the neighborhood cafés lining the cobbled streets of his Belgian hometown, the design embraces the warmth and familiarity of places that feel loved and lived in. Quaint patterns, mismatched furnishings, handmade tile, reclaimed heart pine, and a color palette uncovered beneath decades of paint create a cozy cacophony of textures and memories. Elsewhere, subtle references to the engineer’s background—including a wall of computer monitors carefully integrated into custom casework—offer moments of unexpected discovery without overwhelming the experience.At the heart of the brewery, the barrel room is wrapped in a maximalist explosion of decorative molding and punctured by glazed openings that offer glimpses of aging beer within. Handcrafted millwork unifies the bar, kitchen, and production spaces, while beadboard ceilings with exposed frosted bulbs strike a balance between comfort and refinement. The result is a neighborhood brewery that feels as though it has always belonged—a place where craftsmanship, hospitality, and memory come together in service of everyday gathering.