Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotely by Giannis Efthymiadis - G2Lab

Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotely by Giannis Efthymiadis - G2Lab is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Varahina in Famolavolana Fandraisam-bahiny, Fialam-boly, Dia ary Fizahantany Competition Category.

VarahinaFandraisam-bahiny· 2026

Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotely

by Giannis Efthymiadis - G2Lab

Client: Oreno Retreat

A' Design Award Varahina Winner in Fandraisam-bahiny Category

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The Design

About Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotely

Ny Oreno Mountain Retreat dia hotely miorina ao Tsepelovo, Zagori. Ny trano dia manohy ny tontolo manodidina amin'ny alalan'ny fandikana vaovao ireo fitsipika eo an-toerana momba ny refy mirindra, ny akora, ary ny ambaratongan'ny habaka. Ny rindrina vato mpitondra vesatra sy ny rafitra tafo hazo dia mampihatra ireo teknika nentim-paharazana amin'ny fenitra ankehitriny. Ny hafanana voatahiry ambony dia manatsara ny fahombiazan'ny angovo, ary ny varavarana sy varavarankely voafehy dia mitarika ny fahazavan'ny andro sy ny fivezivezen'ny rivotra. Ny fampidirana ny trano ao anaty tehezan-tany dia mampihena ny fihadiana tany. Ny famolavolana dia mamorona rivotra milamina sy voalanjalanja izay mifototra amin'ny fahatsiarovana sy ny asa tanana eo an-toerana.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Varahina

Nandresy ny A' Design Award Varahina ny famolavolana Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotely, fankasitrahana malaza be omena ny famolavolana miavaka izay mampiavaka ny fahaiza-mamorona, ny fahazotoana ary ny fahamaotinan-tsaina. Ny mpandresy Varahina dia zavatra vita tanana mahay dia mahay ary mamorona mivantana izay manamafy ny traikefa be dia be, ny sarintsaina ary ny fahaizan-kafoy an'ny mpamolavola azy. Andrasana ho zavatra ankasitrahana be, ankafizina ary tiana, mahay amin'ny asa sady vaovao ny famolavolana Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotely. Ity famolavolana nandresy ny A' Design Award Varahina ity dia mitahiry ny fomba fanao tsara indrindra amin'ny zavakanto, ny siansa, ny famolavolana ary ny teknolojia, ary tsara indrindra amin'ny fitandremana ny antsipirihany. Ny famolavolana Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotely dia mahafa-po ny filana tsara, mikasika ny faniriana, mahasarika ny fihetseham-po ary misarika ny fahalianana.

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