The brief called for a building that would provide offices for the client, the wine maker and general office staff as well as a small art gallery to show the works of the estate’s proposed artist in residence and selected other artists. A requisite of the brief was that the building was not to be visible from the existing cottage and that it had to blend in with the surrounding countryside as well as relate to the new winery building.
The gabled shed-like administration building with its corrugated roof and dark stained batten and board cladding is a reference to the agricultural shed while the cave like gallery with it’s native grass roof could have been carved out of the site as is the winery. Materials were kept natural and toa minimum - timber, stone, concrete, glass, corrugated iron and planted soil roofs.
The building sits comfortably into the site relating directly to the winery opposite while providing for the front of house activities of a developing winery with a special interest in the arts.
