Epoch Estate Wines – Ascension Winery

Where do we start with this project?  It’s beyond cool to have worked on this project from start to finish. The project is top-notch, exceeded only by the owners and their chosen Architectural team.  As a local structural engineering team, working on the beginning of the revitalization of the historic 143-acre York Mountain property is a treat by itself. When it comes out like the Epoch Estate Winery did, well that’s an entirely different level of humbleness. The building touches all major structural materials (Timber, Steel, Masonry and Steel) and there are exposed elements of each in various capacities. A large, nearly 30 foot deep, was gouged into the natural landscape while protecting all the surrounding oaks to allow the installation of a buried cast-in-place barrel-aging wing that bisects an existing hill. The only indication of the completed structure remains 8′ diameter oculi that allow glimpses of the wine fermenting below your feet as you walk on lush native grasses. The pole-barn inspired main fermentation area includes structural rigid frames and tension-only rod bracing for stability. The integration of structure into every facet of the architectural design was a large component of this project and it culminates with the exposed, elevated cast-in-place stairs over a hallway below which includes an expression of the stair steps above.

The Winery has been recognized by Architectural Digest as one of the 19 Best Vineyard Designs in the world.