Hill Country Wine Cave: a quiet and small treasure under the rock
Clayton Korte
Special Projects
/
Completed
Inspiration is often rooted in a greater landscape. Buildings can partner with a beautiful setting, remaining subservient and quiet, while carrying their own beauty as stewards of the place they are in. The embedment of this space into the hill, contributes value to this larger environment by appearing as a non-building, and as a stealth destination that calls little attention to itself.
Located at the eastern edge of the Texas Hill Country, this private wine cave serves as a destination along a secluded bend in the Blanco River, within a short stroll from the family ranch amenities. Excavated into the north face of a limestone hillside, an existing shotcrete lined tube is protected on the East and West by tall oak and elm trees, allowing it to nearly disappear into native landscape. An unassuming exterior entry court at the mouth of the cave reveals a bit of mystery as it provides a glimpse of what lies within. Limestone boulders, collected from the excavation, and lush vegetation camouflage the entry as you descend into the mouth of the cave. A tasting lounge, bar, cellar, and restroom are tucked into the 18’ tall x 70’ deep existing tunnel. The opening of the cave is capped with a board-formed concrete portal molded to the irregular limestone, structurally retaining the mouth of the earth cut. The concrete is meant to patina naturally over time as native vegetation clings to the face and onto the flanking limestone earth cut to further blend the headwall into its surroundings. North-facing glazing avoids harsh summer sun while providing filtered daylight to interiors and a visual connection to the outdoors.
Materials that comprise the parts of the structure have inherent individual beauty, offering additional contrast to the natural excavation in which they are inserted. They are pared down, purposefully simple, warm, and above all else authentic. Once inside, a study of White Oak, both raw and ebonized, mixes with vertical grain Douglas fir to panel the walls and dropped ceilings as a warm contrast to more rugged concrete and stone that surrounds. Custom insulated and thermally broken steel and wood windows provide separation between the interior and exterior, as well as the entertaining lounge and the chilled cellar. Reclaimed cedar was milled for live-edged countertop surfaces for the tasting bar and the floating restroom vanity. Ebonized Oak cabinetry is capped with honed slate countertops.
Below the fully arched profile at the back of the cave, the private cellar is surrounded by White Oak casework providing storage for an ever-expanding private collection of +/-4,000 bottles. Custom pendant lighting imbues the space with an added sense of craft that provides a beautiful contrast to the concrete shell.
The lounge and cellar spaces are thermally controlled by the naturally colder subterranean temperatures with supplemental cooling set targets of 76 degrees and optimal atmosphere of 58 degrees respectively, which through Thermal Load modeling resulted with high-efficiency 20 SEER/10.4 HSPF heat pump equipment, exceeding code requirements by 53.8% for cooling and 35% for heating.
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The entrance to the cave is stealthily carved into the existing hillside.
Casey Dunn
Solid limestone retaining walls shoulder the earth cut on either side of the entry.
Casey Dunn
Descending into the courtyard reveals the warmth of the interior space within the hill.
Casey Dunn
Existing shotcrete walls were left exposed throughout providing contrast to the well-crafted interior wood finishes.
Casey Dunn
Ebonized wall paneling and base cabinetry provides contrast to the raw Douglas fir slatted ceiling which manages adjustable lighting and discreet slot air diffusers.
Casey Dunn
Salvaged live edge Cedar planks are repurposed to provide the island bar top.
Casey Dunn
The ebonized Oak wall paneling on the exterior becomes raw on the interior.
Casey Dunn
A sandblasted stainless steel sink set into a salvaged Cedar top, and custom steel mirror float in front of the cave walls.
Casey Dunn
The cellar provides storage for an expanding private collection of +/-4,000 bottles, as well as entertaining and tasting space.
Casey Dunn
Interior space remains connected to its surrounding natural environment and Northern light.
Casey Dunn
A recessed step light detail embedded in the textured concrete wall.
Brian Korte FAIA
existing conditions image- context
Brian Korte FAIA
existing conditions image- cave shell
Brian Korte FAIA
existing conditions image- concrete shell texture
Brian Korte FAIA
Site Plan
Clayton Korte
Floor Plan
Clayton Korte
Section through hillside
Clayton Korte
axonometric diagram showing insertion of spaces into existing tunnel
Clayton Korte
Conceptual Design rendering- cave entry
Clayton Korte
Conceptual Design rendering- tasting bar
Clayton Korte
Conceptual Design rendering- cellar looking toward tasting bar
Texas Hill Country
United States
private
01/2019
130 m2
Clayton Korte
Brian Korte FAIA (Principal), Camden Greenlee, Josh Nieves, Brandon Tharp, Nicole Corwin
Monday Builders
SSG Structural Engineers, Positive Energy, Studio Lumina, Intelligent Engineering
Casey Dunn
Curriculum
Clayton Korte is an interdisciplinary design firm based in Austin and San Antonio, Texas. With professional services including architecture, interior design, brand and identity, the firm handles clients’ needs to deliver rich experiences in the built environment. Clayton Korte seeks to create high quality, individualized spaces tailored to specific client needs. Projects share a similar design spirit: they are detailed, inspirational, authentic, and humanist, and offer a true sense of the specific place where they exist. The firm built its reputation on historic, residential renovation, and to be sure, that work established the firm’s bedrock. The firm has steadily expanded its capacity to deliver more complex, innovative projects coordinating complex teams including multiple clients, consultants, and other stakeholders. Today, Clayton Korte’s portfolio is balanced with a mix of residential and commercial projects including restaurants, hotels, wineries and public projects.
