Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotel by Giannis Efthymiadis - G2Lab

Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotel by Giannis Efthymiadis - G2Lab is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award yn Brûns in Gastfrijheid, Rekreaasje, Reizgjen en Toerisme Ûntwerp Competition Category.

BrûnsGastfrijheid· 2026

Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotel

by Giannis Efthymiadis - G2Lab

Client: Oreno Retreat

A' Design Award yn Brûns Winner in Gastfrijheid Category

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Verified Award Winner

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The Design

About Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotel

Oreno Mountain Retreat is in hotel yn Tsepelovo, Zagori. It gebou set it omlizzende lânskip fuort troch lokale prinsipes fan proporsje, materiaal en romtlike hiërargy op 'e nij te ynterpretearjen. Dragende stiennen muorren en houten dakkonstruksjes passe tradisjonele techniken ta op hjoeddeiske standerts. Hege termyske massa ferbetteret de enerzjy-effisjinsje, wylst kontrolearre iepeningen it deiljocht en de fentilaasje liede. De yntegraasje yn 'e helling beheint it graafwurk. It ûntwerp skept in rêstige, ferfine sfear dy't woartele is yn lokaal ûnthâld en ambacht.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award yn Brûns

Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotel is in winner fan de A' Design Award yn Brûns, in heech prestisjeuze erkenning foar treflike ûntwerpen dy't har ûnderskiede troch kreativiteit, fernuft en tûkens. Brûnswinners binne tige feardige en opfallend kreative artefakten dy't de grutte ûnderfining, ferbylding en betochtsumens fan har ûntwerpers befêstigje. Fan Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotel wurdt ferwachte dat it in tige heech achte, bewûndere en dierber objekt is dat opmerklik profesjoneel en ynnovatyf is. Dit winnende ûntwerp fan de A' Design Award yn Brûns yntegrearret de bêste praktiken yn keunst, wittenskip, ûntwerp en technology en is treflik om syn omtinken foar detail. Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotel foldocht behoeften prachtich, reitsjet winsken, betsjoeveret gefoelens en sprekt nijsgjirrigens oan.

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