When you drive onto the property there’s a sign that gives you two choices. Go left to “work.” Go right to “play.” Although we chose “play,” I imagine their version of work would be just as fun.
The inside of the house (Hospitality Center and Administrative Office) is something to be marveled both from a design perspective and environmental achievement. Frog’s Leap winemaker John Williams achieved a “Gold” LEED certification in 2005 and they are setting the standard for sustainable farming and winemaking.
I was absolutely inspired by the design of this house by the way it looked and how the place made me feel. I would love to describe the inside, but I’ll save us both the words and post a few pictures:
Lisa (our tasting guide) explained how the different wood features around the house (chairs, tables, floor, ceiling, etc.) were all made from barrel staves, recycled corks, etc. But you couldn’t tell. I was amazed at how tasteful and stylish everything looked. Now, I’m sure someone from Frog’s Leap might read this and get insulted. But when people reuse barrels for furniture they look like, well… barrels.
This leads me to the bike racks.
In addition to using certified and composite wood for the house, there are other aspects one must use to get LEED certification, such as: installing non-PVC piping throughout the house, using all low emitting materials, heavy use of renewable energy sources such as geo-thermal and solar, and lots of other expensive upgrades. Each area only earns you one point. The more points you get, the higher the level of certification (Platinum is the highest "Al Gore" level).
What’s great is that you also earn one point doing smaller things like installing bike racks (encourages workers not to drive), stuffing the walls with used jeans (great insulation), and building a shower for your employees (saves on water if everyone does it together!). This makes everything equally important and easily achievable.
- Andrew
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