Richard Shugar designed the Saffron Fields Vineyard Hospitality Center. The tasting room and grounds integrate with the surrounding landscape to inspire an atmosphere of contemplation and ease. Sanjeev and Angela were inspired by architecture using glass, wood, and water for its ability to evoke emotion through fluidity and serenity.

The design focuses on two fundamental principles: the building being rooted in the landscape and the Jewel Box room as the heart and anchor of the entire structure. Mirroring the wine’s origin from vine to earth, the structure emerges from the landscape itself.

Richard Shugar designed the windows of the tasting room to retract on a large scale, 12- and 8-foot sections will open completely on warmer days to expose the vineyard and gardens beyond.

Originally a dairy farm, the 89-acre site had a large pole-barn structure which has been deconstructed to provide both structural and finish materials for the tasting room and gallery. Located atop a mid-hill rise, the tasting room connects views of the uphill vineyards and down-slope gardens.

In addition to the sustainability of using recycled wood in much of the building, the thermal mass in the concrete floors allows for sun to be absorbed and carry passive heat throughout. The windows are also energy efficient. Shugar describes the building as elegant, unencumbered, and flowing gracefully.

The building and surrounding landscape offer spaces for wine tasting and other events, and initiate the connection of the public to the vineyard.