Walker Warner Architects has been awarded a coveted Citation Award from the American Institute of Architects San Francisco (AIA SF) chapter for the newly completed Quintessa Pavilions in Napa Valley, Calif. The firm designed the original Quintessa Estate Winery in 2003. Walker Warner Architects? portfolio of estate projects and custom residences in the Western United States and Hawaii showcases simple elegance and sensitivity to the environment. Photography by Matthew Williams

An ideal fusion of architecture and nature.

Situated on a ridgeline within the breathtaking 280-acre Quintessa Estate in Napa Valley, the Quintessa Pavilions exemplify the ideal fusion of architecture and nature. Carefully sited amongst existing oak trees, each pavilion was built with environmental sensitivity in mind. The overall design echoes the existing winery with an industrial material palette that ages and weathers elegantly. The pavilions are a series of independent 250-square-foot structures, each designed to provide an immersive, privately hosted wine-tasting experience in the landscape. As modest additions to an established 280-acre winery estate in Napa Valley, each pavilion reflects Quintessa’s desire for architecture that will harmonize with the natural surroundings of the property. Accordingly, each pavilion is carefully sited to protect visitors from the elements while also preserving the existing mature oak trees. The result is a unique wine-tasting experie...