Image Credit : Derek Swalwell
Project Overview
With sweeping views across Taungurung Country, the Delatite Cellar Door provides a unique wine-tasting and dining experience located in the foothills of the Victorian Alps. The building utilises sustainable design principles and reflects the warmth and generosity of Delatite’s owners in a new commercial setting.
The Cellar Door sets a benchmark for excellence in design innovation, circular design practice and environmental stewardship. The project demonstrates that architecture and interior design can exceed the sustainable goals of a hospitality venue and provide delightful and enduring spaces to inhabit.
Delatite are committed to sustainability via their biodynamic farming and wine production practices and aim to minimise their impact on the natural environment. The design for the new building reflects the established core values of our clients and achieves the most environmentally responsible built outcome. An integral part of the brief was to respect the land, and to be self-sustainable from a resources point of view.
The project is fully sustainable, responds directly to place, and provides a memorable experience for visitors to experience all that Delatite offers. The development allows Delatite to continue to lead in the field of viticulture and the hospitality industry.
The building is 100% electric, and operationally net-zero benefiting the business, the environment, and the patron. The building was designed to be as thermally comfortable as possible. Public spaces are sited with northern light, and outdoor shaded areas help minimise energy consumption. Materials specified can be reused and recycled and are from sustainable sources.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Lucy Clemenger
Tilde Sheppard
Aykiz Gokmen
Lily Nie
Project Brief
The development was to allow Delatite to showcase their wines and accommodate a multitude of experiences including festivals, local farmers markets, vineyard tours, dining, and private events. The brief included a tasting bar, retail space, commercial kitchen and small dining room, a large outdoor deck, landscaped terraces, amenities, wood storage, and back of house areas. The building was sited to capture the wonderful panoramic views towards Mount Buller, the High Country, and surrounding farmland and is a group of pavilions linked to courtyards, terraces, and decks. Blade walls extend into the landscape, with openings allowing glimpses through and across the building. The entry is designed to respond to the scale and splendour of the mountain range. In contrast the timber clad tasting room and dining space nestle against the solid masonry providing shelter inside for the occupants. The reduced palette of timbercrete, timber lining, concrete aggregate and raw steel is used to create robust forms, frame views, draw light into the building and create a warm and generous interior.
The architecture provides an impression of monumentality. Timbercrete grounds the building with curated openings providing views towards the vines. Tall chimneys and skylights punctuate the interior and anchor the building in the landscape. In contrast, the interior spaces have a domestic quality, evoking family gathering and hospitality. Timber lining references the construction of local cattlemen’s huts and wraps the building in a rich textural warmth. The material palette draws upon the rugged high-country bushland and is inspired by the everchanging vineyard.
Project Innovation/Need
As a commercial development Delatite is designed to enable all aspects of the business and operations to advance sustainability and a circular economy and is an exemplary project for the viticulture industry. The building is 100% electric, including the commercial kitchen, and all heating and cooling.
Whilst a small footprint was proposed, the building was to be resilient and adaptable to change to allow for an increase in visitor numbers.
The building incorporates biophilic design principles by using natural materials, connecting the user to the landscape and prioritising natural ventilation and daylighting.
The focus on locally sourced materials, lighting and furniture showcases and supports the local economy and helps to sustain a prosperous future.
Designed for universal access the building provides safe and easy spaces to navigate. The masterplan has areas set aside for marquees, festivals and events and the amenities block is separate to the main building, allowing it to service functions not held in the building.
The landscape includes a permaculture garden, orchard, firepits, marquee sites, and function lawns, and is designed as an extension of the architecture. Timbercrete steps, local aggregate steppers, rock seats and native planting sit against the backdrop of the timbercrete walls.
The project responds directly to place and provides a memorable experience for visitors to experience all that Delatite offers.
It is a landmark development for the Mansfield community and since opening visitation has tripled. The development has benefited the local community via increased tourism, employment, and community engagement.
Design Challenge
Lucy Clemenger Architects were engaged to design the building at the end of 2019. The project was documented in 2020 and constructed in 2021/2022 during numerous lockdowns due to the global pandemic. We worked closely with the client, consultant team and the builder, to ensure the works could be staged and delivered in a timely fashion and enable Delatite to continue to trade throughout the construction program.
Lead times were critical. Timbercrete masonry was ordered 6 months prior to the appointment of a builder to allow the material adequate time to cure.
The building deals with extreme temperature changes throughout the year, expected only to worsen due to the effects of climate change. Nestled at the foot of the Victorian Alps, Mansfield can see winter temperatures drop to zero while soaring close to 40 degrees in summer. Designed to endure the harsh climatic conditions the spaces can open or close to the exterior, allowing a multitude of events to take place simultaneously.
Despite having a BAL rating of 12.5, materials were chosen to comply with higher standards to anticipate more frequent and higher intensity climatic conditions into the future.
The building has been built to a very high standard with robust and durable materials specified throughout.
The interiors immerse the visitor in the landscape whilst providing shelter from the extreme weather. Openings are provided to give extensive views of the far-reaching landscape. Smaller curated views give closer connection to planted gardens.
Sustainability
Several sustainable initiatives are employed including a large solar array that produces more energy than required, on site composting and waste management, electric car chargers, a large outdoor shaded deck, as well as passive heating and cooling, ceiling fans, cross ventilation, thermal mass, and the use of local building materials. The building relies solely on harvested rainwater.
Timbercrete, a sustainable masonry product was selected as the principal building material. A blend of cement and recycled timber waste product, unlike traditional masonry it requires no firing and offers excellent thermal, acoustic and fireproof properties, is easily maintained, repaired and acts as a carbon trap.
We specified PEFC and chain of custody certified blackbutt timber that was harvested locally in northern Victoria/southern NSW. Only mechanical fixings have been employed for timber components.
Material selection considered their origin, manufacturing process, travel to site as well as on-going maintenance and longevity to reduce environmental, health and social impact throughout their life cycle.
Aggregate used in the concrete slab and paving are extracted from a small local family run quarry. No stone or marble has been used. The use of steel has been kept to a minimum and remains untreated to allow it to be recycled or reused. All surface treatments are low-VOC. Insulation installed exceeds the requirements of the NCC. All fittings achieve a minimum 5 star WELS rating. 95% of food waste, all paper towels and napkins are composted on site and then used in the vegetable garden, orchard, and vineyards.
Interior Design - Hospitality - Casual
This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors where people eat and drink - this includes bars, restaurants, cafes and clubs. Judging consideration is given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes, aesthetic presentation and functionality. Consideration also given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.
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