Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/853816
August 2017 WINES&VINES 45 sans central column proved espe- cially tricky, but the engineers resolved the problem with a cus- tom field-welded steel beam. Another set of constraints in- volved limiting the usable site area while maintaining 100-foot set- backs, preserving a grove of 100-year-old oaks, protecting a large riparian zone and retaining as much plantable vineyard acre- age as possible. An exterior looped drive helps resolve this, providing ample maneuvering space for truck traffic while allowing for expan- sion to both the north and south, along with room for a potential case-goods facility to the west. The compressed schedule proved equally daunting. A de- sign contract was signed in mid- April 2015, and an excavation permit was issued five months later, just prior to fall rains. How- ever, due to a booming construc- tion economy, securing bids and commitments from subcontrac- tors proved difficult. Moreover, due to an unusually hot summer, harvest arrived espe- cially early in 2016. Lingua Fran- c a ' s w i n e m a k i n g s t y l e a n d youthful vineyards require earlier picking than those of other valley wineries, further ratcheting up an already taut timeline. "Everyone realized that the building would not be 100% com- plete for the 2016 harvest," Savre recalls. "As the summer progressed, many jobsite meetings were spent reviewing plans, schedules, and developing strategies to prioritize construction to allow occupancy of critical winemaking areas. Thanks to good communication between the owner, winemaking team, ar- chitects and contractors, enough of the building was completed to a l l o w f o r a s u c c e s s f u l — i f stressful—harvest." Sustainability Lingua Franca's commitment to sustainability resulted in features like the Thermomass wall system consisting of concrete tilt-up "sandwich panels," with a layer of rigid insulation between two lay- ers of concrete. According to Savre, "This layering provides the benefit of perimeter insulation, a durable wall finish, as well as ther- mal mass to mediate diurnal tem- perature swings." Other sustainability elements include energy-efficient LED light- ing throughout the entire facility, KEY POINTS Lingua Franca is a 24,000-square-foot winery located in the Wil- lamette Valley's Eola-Amity Hills AVA. The facility was built to "resist" a 9.0-magnitude earthquake with- out collapse. The winery produces premium Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and it also offers custom-crush space for a few local, small-lot premium winemakers. TECHNICAL SPOTLIGHT WINEMAKING Oversized eaves offer protected storage for grape bins during harvest.