Kunde Winery
Additional Info
Award Winner : Modern Building Systems, Inc.
Architectural Excellence : Beautiful Sonoma County, CA has a heritage of world-famous wines, as well as being in the forefront of sustainable farming & the farm-to-fork movement. Among the families who have farmed these hills over the last two centuries is the Kunde Family, whose history on their 1,850 acre estate dates back to 1904. In an average year, the Kunde winery ships 85,000 cases of premium estate wines. In order to maintain the high quality of their vintages, a new laboratory was needed to replace the 30 year old facility.
The location next to the crushing area & the fermentation tanks, as well as the necessity of making the transition from old to new facilities, quickly gave modular construction a distinct advantage. This 600 SF single laboratory was designed to be integrated into the Kunde production facilities; its 6/12 pitch architecturally shingled roof & rustic appearance blend in well on the site & its size allows more ease of travel between the fermentation tanks, aging facility & the lab.
Cost Energy Effectiveness : “Green” values are not neglected either, showing that smaller modular spaces need not divorce themselves from the need for environmentally friendly practices. Modern Building Systems, Inc. has been certified as an Earthwise company and is proud to have utilized recycled composition products and locally available sustainable forest products as the standard for all of the products used for construction of this project. The buildings have energy efficient Low-E windows with U-values of .35, high-efficiency water heaters, and occupancy sensors in all rooms. The cost savings from this great application stem not only from its advantage in standard labor and materials costs, but in the ability of the winery to maintain its rigorous testing and sampling schedules with almost no down time, giving it a sparkling new laboratory that will give outstanding long-term service to a family that intends to be part of the wine industry for generations to come.
Occupied Date : 4/27/2013
Production Start Date : 3/21/2013
Project Location City : Kenwood
Project Location State Name : CA
Technical Innovation : As far as can be told, this may be the first modular wine laboratory in the Sonoma/Napa valleys. The building is in use seven days a week, with high traffic in the lab proper. The lab area was designed to allow multiple testing of wine batches over 41 linear feet of chemically resistant countertops and cabinets, with multiple locations for high-end stainless steel sinks and commercial dishwashers. For protection against spills and splashes (red wine stains very well), the walls were floor-to-ceiling fiberglass panels and commercial roll goods on the floors with welded seams and coved bases. The flooring also has sloped floor drains with trap seals. Maintaining a healthy and productive building was important to the winery. Specialized exterior doors and door hardware designed for heavy use were incorporated into the plan, as were anti-bacterial finishes. Air quality issues were also considered, and an air handler with five changes per hour was specified.
Total Square Feet : 600