Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotela by Giannis Efthymiadis - G2Lab

Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotela by Giannis Efthymiadis - G2Lab is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Brontzezko Saria A' Design Award in Ostalaritza, Aisialdi, Bidaia eta Turismo Diseinua Competition Category.

BrontzeOstalaritza· 2026

Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotela

by Giannis Efthymiadis - G2Lab

Client: Oreno Retreat

Brontzezko Saria A' Design Award Winner in Ostalaritza Category

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The Design

About Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotela

Oreno Mountain Retreat Tsepelovon (Zagori) kokatutako hotel bat da. Eraikinak inguruko paisaia jarraitzen du, tokiko proportzio, material eta hierarkia espazialaren printzipioak berrinterpretatuz. Karga-horma harrizkoek eta zurezko teilatu-sistemek teknika tradizionalak aplikatzen dituzte egungo estandarretara egokituta. Masa termiko altuak energia-eraginkortasuna hobetzen du, eta irekiera kontrolatuek eguargia eta aireztapena gidatzen dituzte. Maldan integratzeak indusketa murrizten du. Diseinuak giro lasai eta findua sortzen du, tokiko memorian eta eskulangintzan errotua.

The Recognition

About the Brontzezko Saria A' Design Award

Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotela Brontzezko Saria A' Design Award irabazlea da, sormenak, asmamenak eta zorroztasunak bereizten dituzten diseinu bikainei ematen zaien aitorpen oso prestijiotsua. Brontze-mailako irabazleak trebetasunez beteriko eta nabarmenki sortzaileak diren artefaktuak dira, beren diseinatzaileen esperientzia zabala, irudimena eta ekimena egiaztatzen dutenak. Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotela oso estimatua, miretsia eta maitea den objektua izatea espero da, nabarmenki profesionala eta berritzailea dena. Brontzezko Saria A' Design Award irabazi duen diseinu honek artearen, zientziaren, diseinuaren eta teknologiaren praktika onenak biltzen ditu eta xehetasunei ematen dien arretagatik bikaina da. Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotela beharrak bikain asetzen dituen, desirak ukitzen dituen, sentimenduak xarmatzen dituen eta jakin-mina erakartzen duen lana da.

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