Due to proximity to the Napa River, the new Titus Vineyards Winery was raised to sit atop a 5- to 8-foot-tall earthen berm to mitigate flood risk. Effort was then made to reduce the vertical height and profile of the building. Most of the perimeter walls were constructed with tilt-up board-formed concrete. The formwork and rebar were laid out on boards to create a striated texture. After curing, each of the walls was “tilted up” into place by crane, and special care was taken to coordinate imbedded metal anchors to receive the ends of the metal trusses in order to structurally interlock the roof and walls together. 

The horizontal lines that define the board-formed concrete walls repeat in the Hospitality Room suspended ceiling, comprised of varied width and depth wooden slats. Glass blade LED light fixtures set between the slats maintain the linear theme. Offsetting the hard concrete floors and walls, the slatted ceiling baffles sound gently and mitigates acoustical resonance allowing intelligible conversation when multiple groups of guests are present. MH Architects also designed linear pendant fixtures over the Tasting Counter and in the individual Tasting Rooms. Suspended by pairs of minimal aircraft cables, the fixtures are comprised of rectilinear wooden blocks of alder to match the ceiling with an LED light slot on the bottom.

The distinction between the winery interior and the natural setting was intentionally blurred. Sliding glass Nana bi-fold doors span a 24-foot-wide opening between the Tasting Room and the exterior covered porch overlooking the vineyards to the west. The concrete floor and wood slat ceiling finishes continue uninterrupted between the interior and exterior. The Tasting Room space expands toward the covered porch and the crisp lines in the ceiling mirror the cultivated vineyard rows beyond.  

Contractor: Facility Development Company

Videographer: Eric Peltier

Videographer: Eric Peltier