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 in Brons in Horeca, Recreatie, Reis- en Toerisme Ontwerp Competition Category.

BronsHoreca· 2026

Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotel

by Giannis Efthymiadis - G2Lab

Client: Oreno Retreat

A' Design Award in Brons Winner in Horeca Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #183604

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotel

Oreno Mountain Retreat is een hotel gelegen in Tsepelovo, Zagori. Het gebouw vormt een voortzetting van het omringende landschap door lokale principes van proportie, materiaal en ruimtelijke hiërarchie opnieuw te interpreteren. Dragende stenen muren en houten dakconstructies passen traditionele technieken toe volgens hedendaagse normen. Een hoge thermische massa verbetert de energie-efficiëntie, terwijl zorgvuldig geplaatste openingen het daglicht en de ventilatie sturen. De integratie in de helling beperkt het graafwerk. Het ontwerp creëert een rustige, verfijnde sfeer die geworteld is in lokale herinnering en ambacht.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award in Brons

Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotel is winnaar van de A' Design Award in Brons, een hoogst prestigieuze erkenning die wordt toegekend aan uitstekende ontwerpen die zich onderscheiden door creativiteit, vindingrijkheid en scherpzinnigheid. Winnaars in Brons zijn ruimschoots vaardige en opvallend creatieve artefacten die de grote ervaring, verbeelding en het vernuft van hun ontwerpers bevestigen. Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotel wordt verwacht een hooggewaardeerd, bewonderd en gekoesterd object te zijn dat opmerkelijk professioneel en innovatief is. Dit ontwerp dat de A' Design Award in Brons heeft gewonnen, verwerkt de beste praktijken in kunst, wetenschap, ontwerp en technologie en is uitstekend door zijn aandacht voor detail. Oreno Mountain Retreat Hotel bevredigt schitterend behoeften, raakt verlangens, charmeert gevoelens en spreekt de nieuwsgierigheid aan.

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