Design practice WATG provided complete architectural design services for the project. Bardessono, located on a 4.9-acre site in the heart of Napa Valley, is the first hotel on the west coast in the US to receive this rating. It is one of only two hotels in the world that has achieved the LEED Platinum certification status.
Bardessono uses solar and geothermal energy, sophisticated energy management systems, sustainable building materials, and organic landscape management practices.
Some of the sustainable design features of the property include seventy two by 300 feet-deep geothermal wells to heat and cool guestrooms and to provide hot water; 940 solar panels on the buildings’ flat roofs, hidden from view by parapets that produce 200 KW of power; rammed-earth sculptural walls and 100-year-old olive trees; paving stones and sand for the entrance road, to allow water to seep into the soil.
Other features are automatically-controlled exterior Venetian blinds to let the sun and heat in early in the day and out later in the day; low-E glass, designed to take advantage of natural light while controlling glare and heat gain.; fluorescent bulbs and light-emitting diodes; dual-flush toilets and low-flow fixtures that save water; filtered water, which takes the place of bottled water; drought-resistant landscaping and underground emitters for outdoor watering; and re-use and treatment of gray and black water for irrigation through Yountville’s water system.
The project is managed by MTM Luxury Lodging and was developed by Phil Sherburne, who also developed Willows Lodge in the Seattle area and Inn of the Spanish Garden in Santa Barbara, CA.
The inn includes a spa with four treatment rooms, a 75 feet-long rooftop infinity pool, a fine-dining restaurant, and meeting space. The design reflects a blending of the Valley’s agrarian character, the high refinement associated with its wines, and the indoor/outdoor character of local living.
