Bioclimatic winery in Tinos

The client and his family aim to revitalise the area of Messarea in the centre of the island of Tinos, where the Catholic school of Ursulines still has its presence as part of the island’s recent history.  In this area, they have created a hub where they organise seminars for well-being and their guests can enjoy a beautiful and serene environment with a view of Mount Exobourgo.
The client, a lover of wine, decided to also start a winery on the island, as the Cyclades have a very favourable climate for vineyards.

Via a path, typical of the Cycladic landscape, three separate buildings housing the craft of winemaking are carefully integrated and harmonically unified into a timeless and dramatic rural environment. Visitor experience and bioclimatic production principles are equally key to the design, with grapes following the gravity of an accessible route from vineyards to wine press and finally to the facility where wine is fermented and aged in oak barrels.
For visitors, a sequence of breath-taking views culminates in a shady courtyard for wine tasting.
To keep the views open and respect the character of the landscape, the three single-storey buildings are partially sunk into the hillside. Constructed with locally sourced stone using traditional techniques and skills, the contemporary architecture harnesses passive design principles to inform layout and orientation. Planted green roofs, natural ventilation, and a heritage technique of rugged ‘sardine’ dry stone walling that helps the facade to self-shade by moderating the temperature have been included.
Developed in the Cyclades islands, the sardine method creates linear shading patterns, using the tools and skills of the craftspeople. Produced by hand, and without strict measurements, the method is beneficial to temperature reduction and is also a distinctive feature of vernacular architecture in the region.