wine tasting pavillion

project

vine tasting pavillion

type

commission

budget

±5000AUD + reused winery materials

client

private

collaborators

elisabeth hamer

students

volunteering monash students and friends

Wine tasting pavillion

This design-build project investigated how strong engagement with making and place throughout the architectural design and production process might influence the atmospheric qualities of a built outcome.

The tasting spaces express a strong connection to place through siting, visual connections, use, and the materials and techniques employed. Located overlooking vineyards, the three spaces frame different views: from intimate snapshots of the trees to panoramic sweeps over the vineyards and valley. Local materials (vineyard posts from 2009 fires, vine prunings, local stone) are combined with the textural language of corrugated-iron sheds which forms the local vernacular. The play of light and weather on the construction forms a further narrative: rain washes away the wine dregs from a ‘spitting wall’, whilst the sun reveals concrete wall textures. The construction retains traces of use and time, connecting it to the process of wine making. It invites occupants to playfully interact with the environment.

The design aimed to make creative use of limitations and turn them into drivers for a coherent design: existing material resources and size limitations, simple but efficient detailing and techniques, and the challenges of working with volunteers.