Giannis Efthymiadis - G2Lab · CLIENT: Oreno Retreat
Oreno Mountain Retreat is a hotel located in Tsepelovo, Zagori. The building continues the surrounding landscape by reinterpreting local principles of proportion, material, and spatial hierarchy. Load bearing stone walls and timber roof systems apply traditional techniques to contemporary standards. High thermal mass improves energy efficiency, while controlled openings guide daylight and ventilation. Integration into the slope reduces excavation. The design creates a quiet, refined atmosphere rooted in local memory and craft.
Press Kit
- 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.
- Project Duration
- The project started in September 2023 in Tsepelovo, Zagori and finished in Janaury 2026
- 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.
- Image Credits
- Photographer Dimitris Spyrou
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