Location & Design Concept | Materials | Awards
A unique new building now stands proud at the heart of the vineyards at Ara.
Visible across the Ara terrace and standing nine metres above the vines, the building, named ‘the Dart’ after its resemblance from the air to a paper dart, is an award-winning, sustainable and purpose-built operations centre for Ara.
Designed as a central, focal point for vineyard operations, this high quality, two-storey structure provides machinery storage and maintenance space, plus an oasis for the Ara team to rest, socialise and plan together, fit for a community of wine people whose shared goal is to produce wines that express the site’s unique characteristics and set a New World standard in wine |
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Location and design concept
From the very first days of Ara, the leadership team has taken care to invest in a holistic, multi-disciplined master-planning process for the vineyard as a whole: a long-term, collaborative process involving representatives of Ara, renowned New Zealand architects Warren and Mahoney, Hillery Priest Architecture, landscape architects Boffa Miskell and design consultants Designworks Enterprise IG.
The Dart is a product of this process, and of Ara’s philosophy to create a sustainable yet functional vineyard. At the core of the Dart’s design is the idea that Ara’s buildings are as much about function as form, designed to support the operation of the business, and have an intimate and direct relationship with their landscape and environment.
The building is therefore located at the heart of Ara – in the middle of the surrounding vineyards - to provide a central, focal point for machinery and people alike. The building is therefore located at the heart of Ara – in the middle of the surrounding vineyards - to provide
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a central, focal point for machinery and people alike. The Dart’s roof folds down and over to the north west and the south west, with earth mounds cradling the western flanks to shelter the courtyard from the prevailing winds. Beneath this arrowhead, large areas of storage and workshops are housed. The main entrance to the building is located at the eastern end of the building, easily accessed from the car-park. Airy, well thought-out cafeteria and office areas overlook and open out onto the sanctuary of the landscaped garden.
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Materials
One of the key objectives for the Dart is that it should be part of a long term legacy at Ara.
Materials used in the construction of the Dart were carefully selected for their durability and low-impact - almost exclusively natural, reinforcing the theme that the architecture and the landscape are interrelated. Locally sourced raw materials were used to create cladding panels and other construction elements, with low maintenance finishes and sustainability in mind. For example, the exterior cladding is exposed aggregate concrete panels that have been made on site, with extensive use of plywood linings internally. The 2,500 square metres of decking timber – alongside the interior flooring and furniture – have been specified as Kwela, and were sourced from sustainably grown forests.
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Awards
In October, the Dart won the prestigious Commercial Architecture category at the 2008 New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA)’s Nelson Marlborough Architecture Awards.
Beating off competition from buildings from all over the region, the judges praised the Dart’s design, saying that the building sets “a high standard for the viticulture industry”.
Following this award, the Dart will now automatically be entered in the NZIA National Awards, which are due to take place in early 2009.
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- The Dart is over 80 metres long and 45 metres wide
- It provides over 100 metres width of garaging bays in total
- Each of the main entry and exit gates are 5 metres wide, 6.9 metres high and weigh 2.5 tonnes
- 2,200 tonnes of Waihopai River rock were used in the mounds
- Roof area - 3000m²; glass area - 350m²
- The main cafeteria space is 30 metres long by 8 metres wide and will seat over 100 people
- The design team compised architects Warren and Mahoney, Hillery Priest Architecture, landscape architects Boffa Miskell and design consultants Designworks Enterprise IG
- Construction took 1 year between February 2007 and February 2008 by Marlborough firm TH Barnes Construction.
- The Dart was officially opened by Marlborough Mayor, Cllr Alistair Sowman, on 2nd March 2008
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