Château de Nalys: Renovation and extension

To do this, we focused on 3 essential programming points:

• Meeting the Château's winemaking requirements: We started by understanding the pitfalls of the current estate, the points of friction. Then we visited the family's cellars in Ampuis, and understood their requirements and standards. Lastly, we drew up a master plan representing the ideal process for vinifying reds and whites, keeping as much gravity as possible and integrating the equipment needed for good winemaking.
• A building to symbolize the new history of Nalys: At the programming stage, the architects had to be told that the project had to represent the transformation of the Domaine, the change in status, and reflect the excellence of the wines now produced, without overdoing it. Indeed, it's necessary to work with the local context of an already highly reputed terroir made up of the great families of the southern Côtes du Rhône. It was necessary to avoid being too grandiloquent in the design of the project, and not to show off too much. The challenge of the project was to make it look as if the château had always been there.
• Minimize the project's impact on its natural environment: The first thing to do is to identify the project's environmental context. In this respect, we carry out research into the local climate to identify the elements to protect against and those to take advantage of. At Châteauneuf, and even more so at Nalys, which is located on a hill, the design will have to work with the prevailing winds and high levels of sunlight. Preserving the environment also means minimising the project's carbon footprint, both through the use of sustainable and local building materials and by working on the buildings' energy performance, as well as ensuring that as much as possible of the existing fabric is preserved to avoid demolition / reconstruction at all costs whenever possible. These considerations go beyond programmatic issues and are part of an approach to resilience and discretion with regard to the environment, from which the winegrowers derive all their prosperity.