THE CAVE

Experience Hudson Valley’s finest wines in an intimate and beautiful setting in HomeForest’s repurposed silo. Perfect for a romantic weekend trip or a small gathering of friends, enjoy the refreshing nature of the Hudson valley while tasting some of the best wines from the oldest and famous wineries of the country.

timeline: nov - dec 2019
site: kingston, ny
programs: revit, enscape, adobe cc

prompt to renovate a concrete silo into a space that holds a creative and unique activity for the client’s new farm house in kensington, ny

problem how can we create a space that both the clients can enjoy on their own time as well as be a place that visitors to the hudson valley area can enjoy?

the site

The Hudson Valley is a New York State region that stretches along the Hudson River from Westchester County to Albany and is known for vineyards, orchards and farms. Some of the major industries of the Hudson Valley include agriculture, wine-making, and technology. It’s a famous destination spot for people coming from New York City and offers a number of activities for visitors. It’s a great place to experience history, scenic beauty, culture and has a great local food scene.

major industries

AGRICULTURE

Main products include grains (wheat), hops, maple syrup, vegetables, dairy products, honey, wool, livestock, tobacco. Known as the breadbasket of colonial America, it became specialized in viticulture, berries, and orchard cultivation and lead the farm-to-table movement, local food movement, and sustainable agricultural practices.

WINE MAKING
The Hudson Valley is one of the oldest winemaking and grape-growing regions in the US thanks to the sunlight, moisture, chalky soil, and drainage that is conducive to grape growing, especially grapes used in champagne in this region. There are wine festivals that occur throughout the year.

TECH INDUSTRY
High technology ecosystem supported by technologically focused academic institutions, which include IBM’s Westchester County Plant, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the State University of New York Polytechnic Institute.

market trends

HomeForest

HomeForest is a farm located in the middle of Albany, NY and is owned by clients Wei Wei and Yan. It is located 20 minutes away from Kingston, NY, which is known for their well-preserved historic buildings, the culinary scene and creative community.

The couple was inspired by permaculture, which is a term coined in the 1980s and is defined as “a set of design principles centered on whole systems thinking, simulating, or directly utilizing the patterns and resilient features observed in natural ecosystems.” It heavily focuses on the the ecosystem and interconnectivity of farm and encourages regenerative agriculture, rewilding, and community resilience.

The clients wish to have a diverse farm and develop a symbolic forest where everything acts according to natural order. They want to create a sense of ownership and control by working with nature and developing a symbiotic relationship.

the idea

After conducting research on the Hudson Valley region and understanding the different market trends that are present, I wanted to explore a program that would be relevant to the local context and be a destination place for visitors to the area. I also wanted to create a program that the clients would be able to engage with the local community and create a unique space that they can introduce to guests and friends.

programming

For this project, I proposed a wine tasting program that incorporates the local winery scene and history as well as a place for people to relax and socialize in the nook spaces. This allows for community engagement by partnering with local wineries to showcase their products to both the guests who stay at the guest house, as well as to the local community to enjoy. The proposed program also allows the clients to utilize the space as a working/reading space when other guests are not present.

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General open space with floor-to-ceiling wine shelving on perimeter walls and nook spaces for arts & crafts and casual seating.

Transition space from level 1 to level 3 with continued wine shelving, a gallery along the wall as people walk upwards to level 3, additional nook space for casual seating.

Main wine tasting and lookout area which features a 360 degree glass wall and glass dome, as well as additional bar seating.

wine making & storage

The Hudson Valley is one of the oldest winemaking and grape-growing regions in US thanks to the sunlight, moisture, chalky soil and drainage that is conducive to grape growing, especially grapes used in champagne in this region. Wine is a natural perishable food product so it must be stored in an optimal environment. Properly stored wine helps maintain quality, improve aroma, flavor and complexity as they mature.

the users

These are several user personas that I created based on the clients as well as potential guests that may visit HomeForest or the general Hudson Valley region.

branding

These are several proposed branding and marketing items that I created to promote the business. The idea for the logo and the name of the program originates from the early beginnings of wine making when people used to store wines in caves. Going off this idea, I created a cavelike shape that utilizes simple lines to allude to the silo structure and incorporated the motif of a wine glass to emphasize the wine tasting aspect of the program.