DIGS is the premiere luxury real estate lifestyle magazine serving the most affluent neighborhoods in the South Bay and Westside of Los Angeles, California.
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68 DIGS.NET | 10.2.2020 S P O T L I G H T | G E N E S E O I N N AT C A S S W I N E R Y M A R K E T I didn't want the inn to dominate, but to sit lightly on and look out over the surrounding countryside, so I elevated the units above the 5-foot high grapevine rows and placed the parking underneath. e structures shade the parking and allow the container clusters to visually 'float' over the landscape. - Walter Scott Perry, Ecotech Design Principal " " PHOTOGRAPHS: PAUL VU PHOTOGRAPHY t the newly opened Geneseo Inn, revamped industrial shipping crates bursting with stylish modern interiors meet with arresting vineyard views to create an eco-friendly bed-and-break- fast retreat unlike anything else in Paso Robles. Set on 175 acres amid the rolling hills and grape- vines of Cass Winery, the luxury getaway is the mastermind of L.A.-based Ecotech Design, an early pioneer in the use and integration of ship- ping containers in architectural projects. "e owner, Steve Cass, wanted a unique design to attract winery visitors from San Fran- cisco, Los Angeles and throughout the world," says Ecotech Design Principal Walter Scott Perry. "e use of shipping containers was an economical and sustainable choice; they are affordable, readily available and recycled, used locally for wine production and have a unique, contemporary visual impact." Perry's inspiration? e surrounding vine- yard. "I didn't want the inn to dominate, but to sit lightly on and look out over the surround- ing countryside, so I elevated the units above the 5-foot high grapevine rows and placed the parking underneath," he explains. "e struc- tures shade the parking and allow the container clusters to visually 'float' over the landscape." In addition, the 8-foot-wide shipping contain- ers mimic the spacing of the grapevine rows planted 8 feet apart. "Offsetting all of the build- ing components 4 feet horizontally and vertically, and in three separate clusters with different orientations, creates a constant play of light and shadow on the buildings during the day," he adds. "e structures become truly integrated with their environment, as the containers and the vine- yard itself have been recycled and reused over time—an 'adaptive-reuse' design strategy used during the 1960s and throughout an evolving, environmental movement for over 60 years." Featured at the Geneseo Inn are seven bed and breakfast units composed of two 20-foot containers and one 12-foot high clerestory element, each with raised decks at the entry and rear, along with a deluxe bridal unit suite consist- ing of 40-foot and 20-foot containers. Prices start at $325 per night for the accommodations, which boast a mix of recycled and locally sourced sustainable materials and finishes, including Corten and naturally distressed structural steel, glass, cement board, and recycled winery barn materials and agricultural buildings. An office cluster uses four 20-foot containers with a large, communal deck and reception areas under a live oak tree, while the exterior color palettes complement the various wine labels used at Cass Winery. And rounding out the property's offer- ings: a gourmet breakfast served daily, complete with fresh-baked artisan pastries and a chef-in- spired signature item, not to mention vineyard tours, wine seminars, cooking classes and more. "e new vibe was meant to expand the busi- ness to include a more urbane, sophisticated clientele—one aware of contemporary and envi- ronmental design issues—as well as to create a unique 'experience' for those who stay in the shipping container units," says Perry. "Hopefully, it will inspire surrounding vineyard owners to rethink the traditional experience, and to create a more stimulating and attractive destination for visitors." e first green shipping container hotel in Central California promises to elevate the Paso Robles Wine Countr y excursion. ONE-OF-A-KIND WINERY FIND W R I T T E N B Y W E N D Y B O W M A N A GENESEO INN AT CASS WINERY 7350 LINNE ROAD, PASO ROBLES, CA 805.239.1730 casswines.com