carneros inn

OLIN developed a landscape master plan and detailed landscape design for this rural country inn. The design concept was to create a relaxing and contextually rich environment for guests by reflecting elements charac­teristic of the region’s agrarian landscape in the site planning, architecture and garden design. Native trees, grasses, and warm stone walls visually link the complex to its surroundings. Each guest unit boasts an individually designed garden featuring colorful perennials, flowering shrubs, and fruit and nut trees. The inn’s core—its registration building, private restaurant, health spa, and swimming pool—were placed on the site’s highest elevation to capture the magnificent views across Napa Valley. However, this location is subject to cold winds coming off San Francisco Bay. OLIN created a warm, protected microclimate for the swimming pool area by siting the buildings at right angles to the north and west to block the prevailing winds, and set the pool low into the hilltop, where it basks in full sun all day and catches the last of the afternoon’s warmth. To address water resource concerns, all of the site’s waste­water receives tertiary treatment and is recycled for on-site irrigation. 

Location
Napa, CA

Owner
Carneros Partners / Bradley Holdings Ltd.

Status
Completed 2003

Key Team Members
Dennis McGlade, Partner-in-Charge
Skip Graffam, Project Manager

Awards
2012, Travel & Leisure Magazine, World’s Best Awards
2007, American Institute of Architects Award for Regional and Urban Planning
2007, Congress for the New Urbanism Charter Award
2004, Professional Builder Magazine’s Best of American Living Award