A locally rooted facility connecting farmers and tourism through architecture in Rwanda

In Musanze, a city in Rwanda’s Northern Province lying at the foot of the majestic Virunga volcanoes, BE_Design has completed a distillery and agro-tourism hub called "Virunga Mountain Spirits." The project is led by a women-founded company committed to the economic empowerment of Rwandan women, and it aims to support local farmers while embracing the region’s active tourism sector.

Roadside / Front Elevation
Photo credit: Bruce Engel

The 1,100 sqm site is located along a busy road where farmers coast downhill with produce-laden bicycles, while tourists travel uphill to visit the renowned mountain gorillas. At the center of the facility lies the distillery room, housed in a transparent and semi-transparent volume that welcomes natural light and features a striking 10-meter-high copper and stainless steel vodka still as its centerpiece.

Volcanos in the background
Photo credit: Bruce Engel

Set along a busy road
Photo credit: Bruce Engel

Roadside / Front Elevation
Photo credit: Bruce Engel

Luminous distillery core wrapped in volcanic rock
Photo credit: Bruce Engel

Photo credit: Bruce Engel

Surrounding the central space are thick volcanic rock walls, hand-shaped and enclosing all ancillary functions such as offices, bottling and storage rooms, a kitchen, a bar, a tasting room, a reception area, and a gift shop. The building’s form honors the surrounding volcanic peaks and draws on traditional Rwandan "lmigongo" patterns, echoing the local architectural heritage visible along the main road leading to Volcanoes National Park.

Distillery Interior
Photo credit: Bruce Engel

Distillery
Photo credit: Bruce Engel

distillery equipment
Photo credit: Bruce Engel

Reception / Gift Shop
Photo credit: Bruce Engel

Tasting Room & Bar
Photo credit: Bruce Engel

Tasting Room with views to volcanos
Photo credit: Bruce Engel

Most construction materials were locally sourced, and the project was executed with long-standing local partners. With an average 35% female workforce, the site offered vocational training, decent income, and savings programs—leaving a sustainable and positive footprint on the local community.

Volcanic rock walls
Photo credit: Bruce Engel

Front / roadside entry facade
Photo credit: Bruce Engel

Surrounded by farming
Photo credit: Bruce Engel

About BE_Design

Founded by Bruce Engel, BE_Design focuses on educational and community buildings in underserved rural areas across Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, and Ghana. Based in New York, the firm also designs energy-efficient housing and has received international awards and recognitio