Oreno Mountain Retreat Gwesty by Giannis Efthymiadis - G2Lab

Oreno Mountain Retreat Gwesty by Giannis Efthymiadis - G2Lab is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Gwobr Efydd A' Design Award in Lletygarwch Competition Category.

EfyddLletygarwch· 2026

Oreno Mountain Retreat Gwesty

by Giannis Efthymiadis - G2Lab

Client: Oreno Retreat

Gwobr Efydd A' Design Award Winner in Lletygarwch Category

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The Design

About Oreno Mountain Retreat Gwesty

Mae Oreno Mountain Retreat yn westy wedi'i leoli yn Tsepelovo, Zagori. Mae'r adeilad yn parhau â'r dirwedd o'i amgylch drwy ailddehongli egwyddorion lleol cyfrannedd, deunydd a hierarchaeth ofodol. Mae waliau cerrig llwyth-gynhaliol a systemau to pren yn cymhwyso technegau traddodiadol i safonau cyfoes. Mae màs thermol uchel yn gwella effeithlonrwydd ynni, tra bo agoriadau rheoledig yn cyfeirio golau dydd ac awyru. Mae integreiddio i'r llethr yn lleihau'r angen am gloddio. Mae'r dyluniad yn creu awyrgylch tawel, coeth sydd wedi'i wreiddio yng nghof a chrefft leol.

The Recognition

About the Gwobr Efydd A' Design Award

Mae Oreno Mountain Retreat Gwesty yn enillydd Gwobr Efydd A' Design Award, cydnabyddiaeth hynod fawreddog a roddir i ddyluniadau rhagorol sydd yn nodedig am greadigrwydd, dyfeisgarwch a chraffter. Mae enillwyr Efydd yn arteffactau medrus iawn a thrawiadol o greadigol sydd yn dilysu profiad helaeth, dychymyg a dyfeisgarwch eu dylunwyr. Disgwylir i Oreno Mountain Retreat Gwesty fod yn wrthrych uchel ei fri, a edmygir ac a anwylir, sydd yn nodedig o broffesiynol ac arloesol. Mae'r dyluniad buddugol hwn o Wobr Efydd A' Design Award yn ymgorffori arferion gorau mewn celf, gwyddoniaeth, dylunio a thechnoleg, ac yn rhagorol am ei sylw i fanylion. Mae Oreno Mountain Retreat Gwesty yn bodloni anghenion yn odidog, yn cyffwrdd â dyheadau, yn swyno teimladau ac yn apelio at chwilfrydedd.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: This design explores architecture as an extension of place rather than an imposed object. Oreno continues the Zagori landscape by reinterpreting local principles of proportion, material, and spatial hierarchy. Its strength lies in balancing memory with contemporary living, solidity with openness. Through restraint, material continuity, and controlled light, it creates a quiet, refined atmosphere rooted in authenticity.
Dimensions & Packaging: Constructed with load bearing stone walls and timber roof systems, the building employs traditional techniques adapted to contemporary standards. High thermal mass improves energy efficiency, while controlled openings optimize daylight and ventilation. The integration into the slope minimizes excavation and enhances environmental performance, supported by passive design strategies.
Tags: stone, wood, heritage, environment, local, fireplace, wellness, interior
Production Technology: The design was developed through analysis of Zagori architectural principles proportion, material logic, and spatial hierarchy, rather than formal imitation. Local stone and timber systems informed both structure and envelope. Iterative modeling and section studies ensured integration with the terrain, while light and material continuity were refined to create a cohesive, atmospheric spatial experience.
Design Challenge: The main challenge was integrating Zagori historical and social context with modern hospitality standards. Internally, respecting local architectural memory and community traditions guided design decisions. Externally, strict heritage regulations, limited construction technologies, and site constraints demanded careful material selection, precise geometry, and iterative modeling to achieve a balance between authenticity, comfort, and environmental integration.
Inspiration: The inspiration for Oreno emerges from the quiet continuity of life in Zagori. It draws from the memory of people and their rhythms. Gatherings in village squares, the echo of music across the mountains, the slow passage of seasons. Tradition is not treated as a fixed image, but as a living presence, embedded in craft, in material, in proportion. Stone and earth become both structure and story, grounding the hotel in its place, while the spirit of local life shapes spaces that feel familiar, warm, and enduring.
Project Duration: The project started in September 2023 in Tsepelovo, Zagori and finished in Janaury 2026
Team Members: Giannis Efthymiadis
Konstadina Papagianni
Giwrgos Efthymiadis
Maria Kamenou
Dimitra Gakou
Image Credits: Photographer Dimitris Spyrou