Vineyard & Winery Management

May/June 2014

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8 8 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | M a y - J u n e 2 014 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m ing room that would also serve as a gallery for the owner's private art collection. The landscape archi- tect, too, incorporated the owners' sculptures into the garden area. Thornley said that in one of his new projects art and sculpture are integrated into the outdoor spaces. "When visitors arrive, for example, they'll be able to look through the building and see a sculpture and fountain beyond, as if it's telling them there are other places to go." SUSTAINABLE BUILDING Although there was some resistance to sustain- able farming and building practices in years past because of added costs, the practice is now wide- spread, Chauncey said. That's partly because of obvi- ous benefits, such as the increased productivity of a healthier and happier workforce. The simple addition of natural lighting can make all the difference, he said. "There have been numerous studies that show people are more creative in day-lit situations," Chauncey explained. "They have fewer sick days, they enjoy their jobs more. If you've got happier peo- ple, they're going to return more money to the bottom line because of their increased productivity." On top of that, daylighting can cut energy costs for lighting by one- to two-thirds, he said. "So we're putting in more skylights, more clerestories, more north-facing glass doors, and allowing wineries to essentially function all day long without turning the lights on." In warm climates, Thornley said, wineries are using night air to cool down their buildings naturally. "(And) we're building more caves. They typically use less energy to keep at a constant temperature than building a freestanding building." Architects are also using the earth as an insulator by pushing buildings into hills. Thornley sites buildings to take advantage of solar exposure, but some wineries take full advantage by placing solar panels on their roofs. Cuvaison, for exam- ple, gets about 85% of its energy from solar panels. The winery's website (www.cuvaison.com) includes a live update of Cuvaison's solar-power generation. Recalling all the wineries he visited as part of his research for the design of Saffron Fields, Shugar said, "I remember one winemaker saying, 'It's all about the wine.' I think others believe it's more than just the wine. It could be the artwork, it could be the experience, it could be about ceremony or about the environment they're in. There's a way of capturing that and the new wineries are realizing it." Susan G. Hauser is a freelance writer based in Portland, Ore., whose lifestyle and business writing appears in a range of publications, from Workforce Management to O, the Oprah Magazine. Comments? Please e-mail us at feedback@vwmmedia.com.

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