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Sunken Wine Room With Panoramic Views and Pigmented Concrete Integration

Authors:
Liam Mulheran, Michael Denyer
Sunken Wine Room With Panoramic Views and Pigmented Concrete Integration

Project in-detail

The sunken wine room, constructed with pigmented concrete, offers sweeping panoramic views of the vineyard while fostering community interaction through its spacious design centered around a large communal table.
5 key facts about this project
01
Dual orientation provides wide views of the vineyard and courtyard.
02
Sunken design promotes a direct connection to the surrounding landscape.
03
Thirty-seat communal table enhances social interactions during tastings.
04
Large operable openings facilitate indoor-outdoor flow in warmer months.
05
Construction materials echo local earth tones for contextually relevant aesthetics.

The Monte de'Orio wine tasting room is located in a scenic vineyard area, aiming to improve the existing facilities with a modern space for wine tasting. The design is focused on building a connection with the landscape and the nearby courtyard, allowing for a smooth flow between the two. By enhancing visibility and accessibility, the room aims to enrich the overall experience of visitors while highlighting the natural surroundings.

Design Integration

The wine tasting room connects to the main courtyard through a broad pedestrian path. This pathway guides visitors toward a southwest-facing area that is intended to offer wide views of the vineyard. Centering the design around these views creates an essential relationship between the structure and the agricultural landscape, encouraging guests to engage with their environment.

Sunken Architecture

A notable aspect of the design is its sunken form, which allows the wine room to maintain clear sight lines from the courtyard toward the vineyard. The excavation of the site positions the room lower than the surrounding area. This placement creates a cozy atmosphere and strengthens the connection with the landscape, helping visitors feel part of the vineyard they are enjoying.

Spatial Dynamics

Inside, the layout promotes social interaction through a large oak table that seats thirty people, positioned to encourage conversation among guests. This design focuses on community, which is central to the wine tasting experience. A sommelier's counter is included as well to provide practical support for tastings and events, ensuring that everything needed for an enjoyable experience is readily available.

Material Context

The wine room is built using pigmented concrete, which helps it blend with the earthy colors found in the surrounding environment. This choice enhances the link between the structure and the landscape while ensuring it remains durable. Additionally, the use of a brick retaining wall contributes to a cohesive look that reflects local building traditions, reinforcing the building's integration into its setting.

Large operable openings allow for panoramic views and create a connection between indoor and outdoor areas, especially during nice weather. These features enhance the experience of wine tasting by allowing guests to appreciate the beauty of the vineyard while engaging with the space around them.

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MICROHOME 10: Celebrating Small-Scale Living with €100,000 Prize Fund and Kingspan’s Innovation

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Competition organisers

The MICROHOME 10 competition invites participants to submit visionary designs for off-grid, modular microhomes that push the limits of sustainable, small-scale living. Organised by Buildner in partnership with Kingspan and Hapi Homes, this tenth edition sets the challenge of designing a dwelling for two people within a maximum floor area of 25 m², encouraging bold solutions adaptable to any urban or rural location. The competition continues Buildner’s mission to foster innovative approaches to compact, energy-efficient housing that can address pressing global challenges.

This year’s edition offers a generous total prize fund of €100,000, including the Kingspan Award for designs that integrate high-performance Kingspan products and the Hapi Homes Award for a project selected for real-world construction. In addition to cash prizes, the winners gain international exposure through Buildner’s media partnerships, publications, and a dedicated MICROHOME magazine, further amplifying their ideas to the wider architectural community.

Key dates for MICROHOME 10 include the closing date for registration on 25 September 2025, the submission deadline on 29 October 2025 (11:59 p.m. London time), and the announcement of winners on 9 December 2025. These milestones ensure participants have clear timelines to develop and present their concepts, with early registration discounts available to support students and emerging designers worldwide.

MICROHOME

Design a new small-scale home concept in the 10th edition of MICROHOME — 100,000 € prize + construction

100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #10 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 € + Potential realisation
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 25 September 2025

Enter an open architecture
competition now

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