A scenic landscape of a lush, expansive vineyard with neatly arranged rows of grapevines under a clear sky, with a small building in the distance, architecture by MOXON Architects.

Vineyard Shelter

Somerset, England

2025

Client Confidential

Buildings · Culture & Leisure

The vineyard shelter is a building of the land. It serves the dual function of enabling agriculture while providing a stage to appreciate that process, its produce and the ever-changing landscape.

A minimalist landscape sketch of a modern building with a group of people inside, surrounded by trees and birds, architecture by MOXON Architects.

Aerial view of farmland with patterned crop fields, a small building, and pathways, cast in a shadow, architecture by MOXON Architects.

At its core the building is simple: an enclosed block of services (wc, sinks and small kitchen), a covered but open back-of-house area and a flexible space for harvest work or entertaining.

The services are contained within a solid volume anchored in the hillside while the lighter, timber framed main space hovers above the ground as it drops away. A simple gable roof with extending eaves runs the length of the building with a raised central portion for clerestory windows and passive ventilation.

All timber and masonry will come from the surrounding woodland and a nearby quarry.

Floor plan of a parking garage with parking spaces and restrooms, architecture by MOXON Architects.

A modern house under construction with wooden framing and partially finished walls, featuring a large open porch area and a metal roof, architecture by MOXON Architects.

A wooden open-air porch with seating area, attached to a white building, featuring steps and a sloped roof, architecture by MOXON Architects.

Long utilitarian tables adorning the main space function as lunch tables for vignerons and seasonal pickers, an assembly line for processing grapes or banquet tables for a special meal or harvest festival. The open, column free space promotes flexibility. In this spirit, the side walls can pivot upwards to transform the space from fully enclosed to completely open. Their articulation and the exposed roof trusses add to the pragmatic, agricultural character of the building. In contrast to the operable side walls, fixed glazing to the gable end will always orient views across the vineyard and down the valley.