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Textured Cast Aluminum Walls Enhancing Vineyard Experience

Author:
Stephen Scabora
Textured Cast Aluminum Walls Enhancing Vineyard Experience

Project in-detail

The use of textured cast aluminum walls creates a distinctive character that harmonizes with the vineyard’s landscape while providing a functional space for wine enthusiasts to engage with the regional heritage.
5 key facts about this project
01
Textured aluminum panels create a visual rhythm that enhances the building's interaction with light.
02
The design features an inversion from a minimalistic exterior to a richly detailed interior.
03
Abstract themes reflect the vineyard's essence, moving away from traditional maritime motifs.
04
The building's footprint complements the surrounding landscape without imposing on it.
05
Durable materials ensure resilience against the environmental challenges of the vineyard setting.

The Monte d'Oiro Wine Room is a new addition to the Monte d'Oiro vineyard, positioned in a beautiful landscape that enhances its functionality as a space for wine enthusiasts. The design merges historical influences with modern elements, drawing from Manueline architecture, which reflects Portugal’s maritime history. This combination creates a contrast between simplicity and richer details, allowing the structure to align well with its cultural context.

Architectural Concept

The design carefully balances the exterior and interior. The outside features minimal elements that blend with the surrounding land, creating a calm presence. This restraint does not distract from the natural beauty of the vineyard. Once inside, visitors encounter a more detailed environment that invites exploration. This transition from the simple exterior to the intricate interior creates an engaging experience.

Materiality

A key aspect of the Wine Room is its textured wall, made of repeatable cast aluminum panels crafted from a single mold. This choice of material emphasizes modern design while ensuring the building can withstand the changing weather conditions typical of vineyard locations. The consistent pattern of the panels creates a visual rhythm, enhancing the overall flow and connection between the structure and its environment.

Thematic Elements

Instead of using traditional nautical designs, the Wine Room’s themes draw on the essence of the vineyard. This thoughtful approach connects the building to its agricultural surroundings, making it more relevant to its location. By focusing on the landscape rather than historic maritime motifs, the design reinforces the importance of context in architecture, creating both a functional and meaningful space.

Light plays an important role in the experience within the Wine Room. As daylight changes, it casts diverse shadows and highlights on the textured walls, creating a dynamic atmosphere. This interaction enriches the visitors' experience, offering a fresh perspective on the beauty of the vineyard throughout the day.

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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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Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025
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