Graduate Design Studio: Fall 2008

An existing Winery in Portsmouth, RI is looking to expand its earning power by building a permanent wedding banquet hall with a new tasting facility.  The new building, to be built on a narrow plot of land within the existing vines has East views of the Sakonnet River.

The design maximizes exterior views for both function rooms, while also giving separate space to each.  The building is seen as a progression in which a main exterior courtyard funnels visitors into their designated function room: the larger, light filled wedding facility on the upper level, and the intimate, darker, tasting room dug into the ground, giving an eye-level view of the vines.  Both areas are given the opportunity for vine-surrounded outdoor space as they meet up once again at the end of the progression.