Tour Stop 2: The Building
When the family began making plans to build Valdemar Estates, they wanted a building that acknowledged their heritage and their innovative and bold spirit. They chose Joe Chauncey of Boxwood Architects to design the facility. He incorporated features that are both elegant and environmentally friendly.
The tall tower at the rear of the building, called the lantern, signals the winery’s presence along the highway while allowing natural light into the corridor between the barrel rooms. The light serves to draw visitors toward the grand staircase and up to the tasting room.
Large wood and glass doors allow visitors to see the winemaking process. These views also show the visitor the high level of cleanliness that is maintained in the winery.
The tasting room offers outdoor seating with stunning views of the Blue Mountains. Mitigating the sound from the busy highway to the west was very important in creating a peaceful experience for guests. The taller west-facing façade reflects noise from cars and trucks toward the highway. In addition, the 58-foot-long water wall and the reflecting pool fountain create a cascade of white noise.
In addition to covering highway noise, the water wall and fountain also cool the building in the summer. The winery is built into the hillside to reduce cooling requirements for both the barrel room and wine library storage areas. The deep overhangs from the roof offer shade in the summer while still allowing sunlight to enter the building in the winter. The roof is fully equipped for solar panels, and the facility will be primarily powered by the sun.
Concrete composes a large portion of the building’s exterior. Each exterior wall has a layer of insulation sandwiched between two layers of concrete. The exterior layers absorb heat in the summer and cold in the winter. The interior insulation prevents heat and cold from transmitting to the building, further reducing energy needs for the tasting room.
The black wood siding on the building has a charred surface, which seals and preserves the wood, making it both fire- and pest-resistant. The process, which originated in Japan, is called Shou Sugi Ban. The wood can last nearly a century without maintenance.
Winemaking requires a great deal of water for cleaning. The winery is equipped with low-flow plumbing fixtures throughout. This cuts in half the amount of water required. Water from the well is also used in the building, processed on site, and then released back into the ground to recharge the water table.