Williams Selyem Winery

This project involved the design of a new 30,000-square-foot winery headquarters on a hilltop site overlooking California’s Russian River Valley. Designed for a renowned Sonoma winery, the facility accommodates the growing demands of wine production while reflecting the owner’s natural and minimalist approach to winemaking. The site plan preserves significant natural features, including 200-year-old oak trees and massive rock outcroppings, integrating the architecture into the surrounding landscape while maximizing the property’s vineyard areas.

The complex is organized into three distinct but interconnected structures, reducing the visual impact of a single large building and allowing each element to respond to the site’s natural topography. The 15,000-square-foot production facility includes wine production areas, barrel storage, a laboratory, loading dock, and support spaces. The adjoining 15,000-square-foot administrative and hospitality areas include offices, a wine library, and a barrel tasting room. A separate wine tasting pavilion is planned for a future phase.

Sustainability is central to the design, with features including reclaimed oak from century-old fermentation tanks, salvaged stone from the site, locally sourced materials, a green roof, and two photovoltaic arrays. The production building is partially embedded into the hillside, while super-insulated tilt-up concrete panels further enhance the facility’s energy performance.