Adopt a Vine: The Reestlandhoeve expands vineyard and invests in conservation!
For almost 3 years we have been busy converting the old cowshed into a future-proof space where Wine Estate and Care Farm merge. A process with the necessary ups and downs. Since June we have been able to enjoy the result. It has become a nice space with enough room to relax, enjoy the Reestlander wines and get acquainted with our company.
Sustainable gadgets and special features
Building in this day and age obviously has to be done according to a certain vision, and we did go a little further than usual in certain areas. Of course, good insulation and the use of LED lighting are important, and the windows must be at least HR++. But in addition, the materials used have been selected with great care and reused wherever possible. In this blog we would like to tell you more about that, starting with the exterior of the Wijnbarn.
Facade of the Wijnbarn
The façade is made of Siberian larch which John has stained by hand in an ecological responsible stain. A beautiful, warm, natural color was chosen. Once every three years the facade has to be re-stained. This not only preserves the color, but also the condition of the wood. The boards are not made contiguous on the façade but there is a narrow gap between each board. As a result, the wood never stays wet for long because the wind can get through. Siberian Larch is a durable and fast-growing type of wood. It has obtained a durability class 2, which means that the wood will last about 15 – 25 years if the wood is not treated in the meantime. We expect that by staining the wood, the facade will last even longer.
Inside the Wine Barn
Inside the Wijnbarn are even more durable details. The gables and balustrade are striking. These are clad in waste wood and recycled felt. During our search for the perfect exterior facade at the sawmill, we came across a pallet of waste wood laths. The laths would be used to secure windows and protect them from breaking during transport, only to be discarded. We acquired this pallet. Sander and Janny, enthusiastic volunteers, together with the people who come for supported volunteering, painted the laths one by one. A huge job but the result is impressive.
Behind those slats we placed recycled felt. Normally this is used as underlayment or in the furniture industry. We use this felt for acoustics. As we placed this, we noticed the acoustics improving in the Wine Barn and the hollow sound box turned into a warm, quiet space that invites to stay and relax. The nice thing about this felt is that it also incorporates plastic waste from the oceans.
Another sustainable fact, which is not visible but has a big impact on the environment, is reducing the use of drinking water. All toilets are flushed with spring water from our own well, the walled garden is also watered from this, as is the vegetable garden and greenhouse. In addition, the taps in the toilets are equipped with economy function. You don’t notice this much, but because of the economy function less water comes out per minute. In terms of speed, the water flows just hard enough to wash your hands.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Heat and fresh air
The Wijnbarn is heated by underfloor heating. The warm air rises and is extracted to the outside. The air freshener heats up with the warm air, and clean air is drawn in from outside, heated with the residual heat in the air freshener. So we are always assured of fresh, clean air and a nice temperature.
One point of attention is the temperature regulation during cold and hot days. Since the system was not fully connected last summer, not everything can be said about this at the moment. We will have to experience whether it all works as we want or whether more is needed to regulate the temperature.
To wit.
The Wine Barn is used by both the Care Farm and the Wine Estate. The two business activities flow nicely into each other. While we offer an appropriate day care to our people who come for supervised volunteering, you can enjoy a glass of Reestlander wine with or without a Farmersplank.
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