Oreno Mountain Retreat Ihhotela by Giannis Efthymiadis - G2Lab is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Umklomelo Webhulonzi we-A' Design Award in Ukwamukela Izivakashi Competition Category.
IbhulonziUkwamukela Izivakashi· 2026
Oreno Mountain Retreat Ihhotela
by Giannis Efthymiadis - G2Lab
Client: Oreno Retreat
Umklomelo Webhulonzi we-A' Design Award Winner in Ukwamukela Izivakashi Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #183604The Design
About Oreno Mountain Retreat Ihhotela
I-Oreno Mountain Retreat yihhotela elitholakala e-Tsepelovo, e-Zagori. Isakhiwo siqhubeka nendawo ezungezile ngokuhumusha kabusha imigomo yendawo yezilinganiso, izinto zokwakha, kanye nokuhleleka kwezikhala. Izindonga zamatshe ezithwele isisindo kanye nezinhlelo zophahla lokhuni zisebenzisa amasu endabuko ngokwamazinga esimanje. Ukugcinwa kokushisa okuphezulu kuthuthukisa ukusetshenziswa kwamandla ngendlela efanele, kanti izikhala ezivulekile ezilawulwayo ziqondisa ukukhanya kwemini nokungena komoya. Ukuhlanganiswa kwesakhiwo nomthambeka kunciphisa ukumbiwa komhlaba. Umklamo udala isimo esithulile, esicwengekile esinezimpande enkumbulweni yendawo nasebucikweni bezandla.
The Recognition
About the Umklomelo Webhulonzi we-A' Design Award
Oreno Mountain Retreat Ihhotela iwinile uMklomelo Webhulonzi we-A' Design Award, ukwaziswa okuhloniphekile kakhulu okunikezwa imiklamo ephawulekayo eyehlukaniswa ukudala, ubuhlakani nobukhali bengqondo. Abawinile beBhulonzi yimisebenzi enobuchule obukhulu nedala ngokumangalisayo eqinisekisa isipiliyoni esibanzi, umcabango nobuhlakani babaklami babo. Oreno Mountain Retreat Ihhotela ilindeleke ukuba ibe yinto exatshwa kakhulu, edunyiswayo nethandwayo, enobungcweti obuphawulekayo nezinto ezintsha. Lo mklamo owinile uMklomelo Webhulonzi we-A' Design Award uhlanganisa izindlela ezinhle kakhulu ebuciko, esayensi, ekuklameni nasebuchwepheshe futhi uhamba phambili ngenxa yokunaka kwawo imininingwane. Oreno Mountain Retreat Ihhotela iyanelisa izidingo ngokumangalisayo, ithinta izifiso, iheha imizwa futhi ikhanga ukufuna ukwazi.
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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