This winery west of Hastings consists of two buildings – one housing production, lab and offices; and a smaller services building – whose floating roofs can be read together as one gently sloping plane. With their material palette of concrete, steel and glass, these are clearly working buildings, while the lightness of structure allows the complex to sit gracefully in the rural landscape.
Modern winemaking is a highly complex, technical process so the design benefited from the considerable input of the winemaker. Every design aspect was carefully considered: monitoring of temperature, control of light; access to and placement of working areas (the lab is at the top of the tank level because that’s where samples are taken from); and efficiency of storage systems. For energy management, gravity rather than electric power is used where possible. Ease of use and maintenance are crucial – the operation has to be not only economical but also sustainable. This requires constant consideration of the best methods of water collection, water usage and waste disposal.
Part of the Paritua project was the design of a house for the estate manager and his wife. A simple long pitched roof floats over a steel frame, with enclosed wing areas tucked centrally between verandas either side and at the gable end. Rafters and ridge beam are expressed internally, as are purlins at the gable ends, allowing the roof to float tent-like over the frame. The clients wanted a long, low house, and that’s what they got.
(Carnachan Architects)More…
