We are incredibly humbled by the show of support for our award this week! This is the second win in this category for us (we also won in 2018), and we truly appreciate the accolade for our contributions to the wine industry.

Many have asked about the project specifics, but actually, the award is not for a project at all. Let me explain.

WISA First

The wine industry is made up of a diverse range of specialist suppliers, from architects and marketing people to viticulture equipment and bottle manufacturers. S2 Architects are one such supplier as a specialist in design of buildings and places for the wine and tourism industries.

The Wine Industry Suppliers Association (WISA) aims to showcase the best of Australian suppliers and demonstrate how impactful their businesses have been on the success of the industry as a whole. This Wine Industry Impact Award, affectionately known as WIIA, is a wine business focussed award that aims to “capture and inspire connection and implementation that delivers impact for wine business”. Each application is assessed by an independent panel, who take into account factors including the overall value proposition, quality and reliability, extent of innovation, and overall industry impact. In other words, the award is for suppliers whose product or service is making a big impact on how the wine industry makes and sells wine.

Our Entry

S2 Architects are not your average Architects – we specialise in wine tourism because what wine and tourism needs is different to other places. Wine businesses need spaces that work – efficiently for staff and operations, and effectively to sell wine. Wine tourists need places that are welcoming and easy to navigate, exciting, interesting and engaging. And wine tourism needs places that are safe, appealing, enticing and are actively engaged in telling the story and selling the wine. Wine business needs active buildings.

S2 Architects entered a compelling case that our impact is that our buildings don’t JUST sit there and look pretty. Our process uncovers what is unique about a place in operation as well as character, and our design process creates buildings that inspire deep connections between place, brand, people and team, and places that are active assets. That means moving away from passive designs that only cost money to build, operate and maintain, instead creating buildings, spaces and places that are active members of your team to attract visitors and staff, drive profits and become extraordinary and unmissable on the tourism map.

We case studied 6 projects from a variety of Australian wine regions, demonstrating how visitation is up, sales DTC are up, wine club sign-up has increased, visitors are staying longer and spending more, and local tour operators are regularly on site.

What the Judges Said

“The overall standard was exceptionally high which is testament to the quality and innovation of the wine supply sector. The winner for Wine Tourism : S2 Architects for the portfolio of work done in linking the built environment and their winery clients’ brand equity.”

Corrina Wright of Olivers Taranga MC’d the evening, and read the judge’s comments as the award was presented:

“S2’s architectural solutions impact by specialist areas:

• communicating the stories of the brand and place through buildings that create a unique experience;
• creating places that attract tourists, create value and meet and exceed their expectations;
• commercialisation and efficiencies through building and fitout and
• target market refinement.

This niche offering has been truly tailored to the wine industry, demonstrating strong and significant impact to their winery clients. There’s been clear links drawn between the built environment and the winery brand equity in competitiveness and attracting wine tourism. S2 have their finger on the pulse of the wine industry needs.”

Here’s to All of You!

We are incredibly proud to have received this award. Thank you to WISA, our team of extraordinary people here in the office, and the other suppliers who come together to create a successful outcome for our clients. And a massive thank you to our clients from across regional Australia, who have invested in creating something extraordinary with us.

We’d love to work with many more businesses, creating success stories across wine and tourism with active, beautiful, functional and brand centred design of cellar doors, restaurants, accommodation, visitor centres, attraction centres and many other places and spaces. We can help with heritage, sustainability, Council approvals, finding a builder and much more.

Excited about taking a first step? Contact us, and let’s just start with a coffee.