Organising an architectural competition for the construction or renovation of a winery: guide and advice
Explore different avenues and design a wine estate in keeping with your know-how and terroir.
Are you planning to build, renovate or refurbish your winery and would like to organize an architectural competition?
Excellent idea!
The construction or major renovation of a winery is always a highly strategic and structuring project in the life of a winery.
That's why it's so important to find the right partner, which is not always easy.
Organizing an architectural competition for a winery seems the ideal and most suitable solution.
As a leader in the organization of architectural competitions, take advantage of our expertise and know-how, whether you're in Bordeaux, Provence, the Loire Valley or Burgundy.
Here's our advice and the steps to follow to find the ideal partner for this project of a lifetime.
Contents – Organizing an architectural competition for the construction of a winery or vineyard:
1. What are the advantages of organizing an architectural competition for a winery?
Work with innovative architects who are experts in your sector
Organizing an architectural competition broadens your horizons by giving you access to a diverse and creative range of architects.
This initiative allows you to discover unique talents, and to bring together a variety of perspectives and unparalleled skills around your project.
In this way, by welcoming new talent, you can inject a creative and enriching dynamic into your architectural project.
Optimising your time
Managing a winery is already a full-time job.
Running a winery construction or renovation project at the same time is an additional burden that can be a real burden on a day-to-day basis.
By delegating the task of making contacts, drawing up specifications and receiving and analyzing applications, you save precious time.
This approach allows you to concentrate your efforts on identifying the best proposals, thus speeding up the launch of your project.
Encouraging architectural innovation
What’s more, launching an architectural competition is also an opportunity to compare different ideas and architectural approaches.
As a result, you’ll be able to choose from among several proposals.
This competitive process stimulates the imagination of participants and encourages the exploration of new approaches.
The result is an inspiring, avant-garde vision for your project.
An environmental approach
Last but not least, such a project is also an opportunity to review processes and working methods and give them a more sustainable dimension.
More and more winegrowers are deciding to develop eco-responsible wineries and estates.
This applies not only to the vines, but also to winemaking methods.
Why not add a more global dimension to your project by adopting an eco-responsible approach?
How we helped the Rothschild family renovate and extend their winery: Château Lafite Rothschild .
Discover the project2. Our tips for organizing an architectural competition for a winery:
a. The key steps you need to know:
Before the work is completed and your new winery up and running, there are a number of key stages to be aware of.
We’ve listed them below:
- Project scoping: this preliminary phase, necessary for any project, is the stage during which the client (i.e., the owner) selects the architect, validates a schedule and budget, and ensures the project’s technical and financial feasibility.
In addition, he will start by working on the programming of the venue.
Do we add a tasting cellar?
A cultural and educational trail around the vineyards?
What surface area will be allocated to the vat house? - Project design: here the architect works with the client to define the main architectural intentions, then gradually refines and fine-tunes them technically.
The aim is to define the entire wine cellar project and each technical area, using plans and technical drawings (elevations, cross-sections, etc.). - Contractor consultation: the architect, in collaboration with the building economist and engineers (in the design office), draws up the technical and administrative specifications for the project.
Finally, they select the companies responsible for carrying out the work. - The construction phase: This is when your winery gradually takes shape.
Of course, the project manager is there to make sure everything goes smoothly.
b. Clearly defining your expectations:
This is essential to ensure the success of your winery project, and that it perfectly matches your expectations.
To achieve this, a little introspection is required on certain major points of the project:
- The budget: indeed, this point is essential in defining the project’s ambition.
- Technical requirements: this is an essential point for your winery.
That’s why we advise you to list all the tools and machines you need, or will need, for your desired wine production. - The program: in addition to the technical winemaking areas (vat room, cuverie, vinification cellar, etc.), more and more winegrowers are offering a complete experience with a restaurant, tasting cellar or artistic trail.
In this way, a new economic axis can be developed around wine tourism.
c. Surround yourself with the right people and find the right partners:
This is THE key to the success of your winery construction or renovation project, just like any other.
This is where we come in as project management assistants.
We can help you find the best service providers, not only for the design phase, but also for the execution of the work.
3. The stages of an architectural competition for the construction or renovation of a winery or vineyard with BAM.
a. Drawing up the specifications for the architectural competition and its regulations:
First of all, we gather all your technical needs and requirements concerning the winery (size of vat room, tools required, type of vat, ancillary areas such as tasting cellar, catering area…).
The aim is to draw up a clear architectural program together.
This will serve as the technical specifications to which candidates will be asked to respond.
b. Creation and distribution of a dedicated website:
To launch the architectural competition for your winery and manage the reception of all applications, we create a site dedicated to your project.
What’s more, this allows us to ensure that the information is properly circulated to the leading architectural firms we invite to compete.
c. Management of architectural competition applications:
What’s more, we’ve developed a web application to manage all the applications we receive.
So you can already start to see some of the proposals for your winery and vote for the ones you like best.
d. Management of the architectural competition and support for candidates:
In fact, we are the sole point of contact for all candidate architects during the competition phase.
As such, we answer all their questions and provide frequently asked questions to ensure that everything is clear for the client.
e. Sorting of architect applications:
For each competition we organize, we receive on average between 100 and 300 architect applications.
As a result, we sort each application according to our criteria, but above all to your technical and aesthetic requirements for your future winery.
f. Organisation & management of the architectural competition jury:
Finally, the last phase of the competition.
During this phase, we help you choose the architect who will work on the construction, renovation or refurbishment of your winery.
Together with you (the client), we organize the final jury and draw up a scoring grid (aesthetic and technical criteria, budget compliance, construction economics, etc.) to select the most reliable and appropriate partner for your project.
Are you planning to build or renovate a winery ?
Our winery projects,
Find out more about our current projects and the stories of the clients we’ve worked with on their winery construction or renovation projects.
Château Lafite Rothschild: Renovation and extension of a winery
Delivery in 2025
Château de Nalys: Renovation and extension
Delivery in may 2026
