The Architecture of Wine: A Farmstead Reinvented in Oregon’s Chehalem Valley.

GRAY AWARDS
Jul 7
3 min read

Sequitur Winery by Observation Studio is a finalist in the 8th annual GRAY Awards in the Hospitality Design breakout category.

Aerial view of a serene landscape with a meandering river, green fields, forests, a road, and a cluster of red-roofed buildings. Calm atmosphere. GRAY Awards. GRAY magazine. Hospitality design.

FINALIST

Breakout category: Hospitality

Designer: Observation Studio

Photographed by: Jeremy Bittermann

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SUBMISSION

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The Etzel Farm sits at a seam between loamy wetland meadows and forested hillsides in the Chehalem Creek Valley, outside Newberg, Oregon, one of the most fecund ribbons of soil for pinot noir vines in the United States and home to a multi-generational family of winemakers.

Cozy wood-paneled room with vintage chair, rectangular table, and a potted plant. Black stove, bright window, and modern light fixture.

At the heart of the transition from dairy farm to winery is the transformation of a historic barn into a cathedral for winemaking, the result of an ethic of resourcefulness and honor for the land and its legacy. The restored barn and surrounding additions accommodate wine production, animal husbandry, crop production, and harvesting, as well as living quarters and spaces to entertain, taste wine, and experience a vibrant working farmstead.

The tasting room building is located at the heart of the property, connecting visitors to its many landscapes and working spaces. The warm interior space allows for hosting guests in an intimate setting, contrasting a sense of calm with the natural hum of the land and wine production. Serving is arranged in multiple window seats, connecting the tasting experience to the light and sounds of the farm.

The buildings are as much a product of their site as is the wine that’s made inside them. The former dairy barn, originally constructed in 1937 from Douglas Fir and Cedar trees from the farm, was restored to give it a new life and purpose. The barn’s original frame remains in use as the barn’s structure, and the structure of the new buildings are made in a similar manner from trees felled and milled on site.

This spirit of sustainability and resourcefulness pervades the farm, as many of the buildings are built from repurposed elements of the farm’s original outbuildings. The old terra-cotta block milk shed was converted into a restroom building and the concrete stave grain silo converted into an egress stair. Floors, walls, and ceilings in the tasting room building are fully finished with reclaimed wood from deconstructed buildings at the farm.

DESIGN TEAM:

Brent Linden, Christopher Brown, Dillon Phillips, Jared Abraham, Hutch Landfair

COLLABORATORS:

Contractor: AD Construction

Photography: Jeremy Bittermann

DESIGNER PROFILE:

Observation Studio is a full-service architecture and interiors firm based in Portland, Oregon. Our philosophy is one of productive tension—between lyricism and technique; texture and clarity; generosity and precision. We seek with every project to understand the often multiple narratives and desires that drive each client, and to transform those drives into built space.

We have chosen the Pacific Northwest as our permanent home and are continually and newly inspired by its extraordinary landscapes and vibrant communities. Drawing on founder Chris Brown’s history working with regionally-inflected architects like Marlon Blackwell and formally-innovative architects like Brad Cloepfil, we see great richness where we are, and work both locally and nationally to harness the qualities we see here. Our architecture is one of understanding and generosity. We are deeply steeped in the history of craftsmanship and the Pacific Northwest’s design legacy, whether in the historic culture of a specific materiality or contemporary craft approaches.

Our work seeks to marry the subtle and the rustic; the narrative and the formal. We begin each project by finding its fundamental question, and then proposing and re-proposing possible answers to that question. We have completed state-of-the-art wineries; cultural facilities; live/work spaces; and finely detailed residences. Each project has given us a new understanding of the importance of material selection, orientation, program, and curiosity, and each has led us to form new and lasting relationships with local builders, artists, clients, and craftspeople.

We have been the recipient of numerous accolades, including Architectural Record’s storied Design Vanguard program and multiple AIA awards.

The 8th Annual GRAY Awards is sponsored by: