Private & commercial wine cellar designs

How we work

We thrive on wine cellar design projects of all shapes and sizes, from modern display walls to traditional vaulted-style wine cellars and from whiskey collection snugs to home bars in entertaining areas. Working with a broad church of wine room design clients, including architects, interior designers, contractors, private clients and commercial wine cellar design for the hospitality industry, we understand that clients don’t all have the same needs. We are able to provide design from brief to build. 

Our processes are tailored to what is required and staged to allow ease of integration within the RIBA Plan of Work stages.

Phase A:

Initial consultation and brief.

 

An initial consultation with us is a free, no-obligation briefing meeting to discuss the requirements of the client, the overall aesthetic objectives and to review plans in order to understand the outline constraints of the building. In many instances this requires a face to face meeting but in some instances this can be achieved by phone and email. We will often ask for building plans, especially for new-build properties.

This is in line with the RIBA Plan of Work stages 0 and 1.

Outcome: Confirmation of the brief and fee proposal to the client for the agreed scope of design broken down into phases.

Phase B:

Design concept and visualisation

 

Following the initial consultation and acceptance of our fee proposal we will ask for a deposit payment to cover the work in Phase B. This will include a site survey and detail briefing with your Design Consultant who will work with the client team to agree details,  requirements, timings, capacity, aesthetic considerations and of course target build budget. We also factor in other important considerations that the client and their agents aren’t necessarily aware of. The brief is then used to develop a design concept and visualisations which is presented to client team for comment and approval.  Details, finishes and material recommendations are all introduced at this stage and the client is presented with a polished render to make visualization of the finished project easy to understand. The initial concept is then refined and developed or adapted as required to the point of a written client sign-off .

This is in line with the RIBA Plan of Work stages 2 and 3.

Outcome: Final design concept and presentation visuals.

Phase C:  

Detailed Design, materials & technical specifications.

 

Once Phase B is completed, we will ask for a payment for the Phase C work, if that is included in the scope of the project. During Phase C final tweaks are made to the design as per client comments and accommodation of any site anomalies to produce a sufficiently detailed design and technical package to enable the client to take the design to pricing or tender.

The package is in line with the RIBA Plan of Work stage 4 and usually includes, but isn’t limited to:

  • Detail design drawings

  • Material and finish specifications, 

  • Enabling works specifications and guidelines to main contractors

  • Lighting, power and services specifications and provisions

  • Full climate control installation drawings and servicing guidelines 

  • Recommended supplier equipment

Outcome: Detail design intent drawing package and technical specifications for pricing.

Phase D:

Pricing and construction advisory oversight

 

On completion of the design stages, Phase D is to provide consistency of the interpretation of the design through to the end of the project to help ensure the manufacturers and contractors install the intended solution at the desired level of finish. This may include dealing with tender queries, manufacturing workshops or attending site meetings to clarify design intention or support the project architect/ designer where required.  This is an optional phase and our fees will be separately advised as an hourly rate charge along with travel and disbursement costs and time. Phase D fees are payable in advance.

This is in line with the RIBA Plan of Work stages 5 and 6.

Outcome: Advisory supervision of construction phase to ensure quality as intended.

Book a Consultation

We will listen to your needs, prepare a fee proposal, and walk you through the process.