Oreno Mountain Retreat Faletalimalo by Giannis Efthymiadis - G2Lab is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Apamemea in Mamanu Talimalo Competition Category.
ApamemeaTalimalo· 2026
Oreno Mountain Retreat Faletalimalo
by Giannis Efthymiadis - G2Lab
Client: Oreno Retreat
A' Design Award Apamemea Winner in Talimalo Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #183604The Design
About Oreno Mountain Retreat Faletalimalo
O le Oreno Mountain Retreat o se faletalimalo o loo i Tsepelovo, Zagori. O le fale e faaauau ai le laufanua o siomia ai e ala i le toe faauigaina o mataupu faavae faalotoifale o fua faatatau, meafaitino, ma le faatulagaga o avanoa. O puipui maa e lagolagoina le mamafa ma faiga faletaualuga laupapa e faaaogaina ai metotia masani i tulaga faaonaponei. O le maualuga o le puipuia o le vevela e faaleleia ai le faaaogaina lelei o le malosiaga, a o avanoa e pulea lelei e taitaia ai le malamalama o le ao ma le savili. O le tuufaatasia i totonu o le tifato e faaitiitia ai le eliina o le eleele. O le mamanu e faatupuina ai se siosiomaga filemu ma le matagofie e mausali i manatuaga ma tomai faalotoifale.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award Apamemea
O le A' Design Award Apamemea na manumalo ai Oreno Mountain Retreat Faletalimalo, o se faamaoniga matuā mamalu e tuuina atu i mamanu ese e iloga i le fatufatuaʻi, le atamai ma le poto. O ē manumalo i le Apamemea o mea e iai le tomai atoa ma fatufatuaʻi mataʻina e faamaonia ai le poto masani tele, le mafaufau ma le atamai o tagata mamanu. E faamoemoeina Oreno Mountain Retreat Faletalimalo e avea ma mea e vivii tele, ua pelepelea, e iloga i le tomai faapolofesa ma mea fou. O lenei mamanu na manumalo i le A' Design Award Apamemea e tuufaatasia ai faiga sili i le faatufugaga, saienisi, mamanu ma tekonolosi ma e sili ona lelei i le mataituina o mea itiiti. Oreno Mountain Retreat Faletalimalo e faamalieina matagofie manaʻoga, pa i manaʻo, faalataina lagona ma faaosofia le fia iloa.
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
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