New Zealand’s first 5-Star Green Star commercial winery

A commitment to sustainable design and quality visitor experiences resulted in a world-class space with market leading sustainability credentials.

Sustainability and environmental responsibility are at the heart of the Cloudy Bay business. We partnered with them to help develop a sustainable design response that aligned with their values while demonstrating green leadership.

Cloudy Bay have taken significant steps to improve their wine making operations and wanted to extend this into the refurbishment of their founding cellar building.

Winemaking is a large energy and water consumer - Cloudy Bay took the opportunity to extend their green philosophy to their building which included a focus on reducing the need for energy consumption as well as the inclusion of a solar PV array which is anticipated to generate enough energy to target Net Zero Energy. We also helped to develop a water conservation strategy capturing rainwater from the roof to use as flushing water in the hospitality areas. The outcomes of these energy and water reduction initiatives are monitored in real-time so Cloudy Bay can share their performance with their guests via a display screen in the gallery.

Of equal importance was creating a space that was beautiful, comfortable, and flexible for hosting guests. This was enhanced via an elevated glazed platform to display the winemaking operations. We carefully integrated the servicing and comfort strategies to meet best-practice standards, allowing this space to connect guests to the winemaking process while enjoying their time in comfort. Beca’s approach has helped Cloudy Bay integrate a working winemaking facility that has a small environmental footprint with a unique cellar door experience.

Awards:

• Best in Category / Excellence - Property Council NZ - Green property award, 2023
• Merit - Property Council NZ - Tourism & Leisure Property Award, 2023
• Winner - Nelson/Marlborough Architecture Awards - Commercial Category, 2023