Oreno Mountain Retreat Otêl by Giannis Efthymiadis - G2Lab

Oreno Mountain Retreat Otêl by Giannis Efthymiadis - G2Lab is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Xelata A' Design Award a Tuncîn in Dîzayna Mêvandarî, Bêhnvedanê, Rêwîtî û Tûrîzmê Competition Category.

TuncMêvandarî· 2026

Oreno Mountain Retreat Otêl

by Giannis Efthymiadis - G2Lab

Client: Oreno Retreat

Xelata A' Design Award a Tuncîn Winner in Mêvandarî Category

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The Design

About Oreno Mountain Retreat Otêl

Oreno Mountain Retreat otêlek e ku li Tsepelovo, Zagori cih digire. Avahî bi şîrovekirineke nû ya prensîbên herêmî yên rêje, materyal û hiyerarşiya mekanî, dîmena derdorê didomîne. Dîwarên kevirî yên barhilgir û pergalên banê darîn teknîkên kevneşopî li gorî standardên hemdem bi kar tînin. Girseya germî ya bilind karîgeriya enerjiyê baştir dike, di heman demê de vekirinên kontrolkirî ronahiya rojê û bahewayê rêve dibin. Tevlêbûna nav qûntara çiyê kolandinê kêm dike. Sêwiran atmosferek aram û zerîf diafirîne ku di bîranîn û pîşesaziya destî ya herêmî de rehên xwe berdaye.

The Recognition

About the Xelata A' Design Award a Tuncîn

Oreno Mountain Retreat Otêl xelatgirê Xelata A' Design Award a Tuncîn e, nasîneke pir bi prestîj ku ji sêwiranên berbiçav ên bi afirînerî, jêhatîbûn û zîrekiyê têne cudakirin re tê dayîn. Xelatgirên Tuncînê karên bi têra xwe jêhatî û bi awayekî balkêş afirîner in, yên ku ezmûna fireh, xeyal û çareserkirina sêwiranerên xwe piştrast dikin. Tê hêvîkirin ku Oreno Mountain Retreat Otêl tiştekî pir hatiye rêzgirtin, sitayişkirin û delal be, bi awayekî berbiçav pîşekar û nûjen. Ev sêwirana bi Tuncînê serketî pratîkên çêtirîn ên huner, zanist, sêwiran û teknolojiyê digire nav xwe û ji bo baldariya li hûrgiliyan hêja ye. Oreno Mountain Retreat Otêl pêdiviyan bi rengekî xweş tîne cih, destê xwe dide daxwazan, hestan dihejîne û meraqê dikişîne.

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