Rosby Wines Cellar Door and Gallery Mudgee NSW, New South Wales winery, Australian vineyard property photos

Rosby Wines Cellar Door and Gallery in Mudgee, NSW

27 March 2025

Architects: Cameron Anderson Architects

Location: Mudgee, New South Wales, Australia

Photos © Amber Hooper

Rosby Wines Cellar Door and Gallery, NSW, Australia

Rosby Wines Cellar Door and Gallery is a contemporary, sustainable and 100% off grid building that sensitively respects the historical suite of earth buildings on a working property in Mudgee, NSW. The historic dairy farm, was taken over by Kay and Gerald Norton-Knight in 1982, establishing a vineyard while raising 4 daughters in the historic, pise homestead.

Rosby Wines was launched in a mudbrick hut overlooking the vineyard at the top of the property, a building that plays a special role in the history of Rosby and the collective memory of all who have attended wine lunches and family weddings there. The roof of the new building rises to salute the top of the vineyard and adjacent mud hut, a formal gesture of respect to where it all started, while also rising to welcome visitors from the parking area.

The four timber portal frames reference the four Norton-Knight daughters and the rammed earth walls respect the alignment and materiality of the historic earth buildings (the main pise homestead and outbuildings, C1890) and mud brick extensions to these buildings, 1983). Large freespanning rammed earth lintels push the boundaries of the window and door openings through considered engineering and careful construction.

The site configuration creates a service area behind the new building concealing services and associating them with the main workshop areas of the property away from public access. The serving area opens onto the verandah for external tastings while also serving into the gallery space, providing an internal option for inclement weather.

Bathrooms are externally accessed and located on the car park side, immediately visible to visitors as generally this is the first question asked. Polycaronbate, highlevel panels provide soft lighting for the gallery and Form ply has been used internally, removing all plasterboard and painting, while responding to the form ply dance floor that is used for every Rosby party or event.

The building was completed on time and budget, including landscaping. Critical to the project was the structural engineer who pushed the boundaries of rammed earth design eliminating a lot of structural steel, builder and neighbour Penney constructions for his care and attention to detail and the landscape designer for creating a drought resistant low maintenance garden design. DDA performance solutions for parking and access created a sensitive, yet practical landscape response.

The building is entirely off grid comprising 13.2kw of solar panels and 15kw battery storage and 45,000L of rainwater storage services the building and bushfire requirements. Large overhangs shade the North and Western facades, while existing and new trees further shade the low western sun in summer.

All timber used is spotted gum and will grey over time, windows, doors and benchtops were locally manufactured and the Rammed earth was constructed by a neighbour who lives less than 2km from the site.

What are the sustainability features?
Rammed Earth walls for thermal mass
Concrete flooring for thermal mass
13.2kw solar array and 15kw battery storage (Building is entirely off grid) including active monitoring.
45,000L rainwater storage including overflow to existing tanks
Electric hot water
Low water use bathroom and kitchen fixtures
Motion sensors for LED lighting & exhaust fans in bathrooms
Sustainably harvested spotted gum cladding, windows and doors, portal frames and benches
Locally manufactured windows, doors and joinery
Locally constructed rammed earth walls (builder lives less than 2km from the site)
Polycarbonate cladding for highlight glazing to reduce lighting during operating hours during the day
Form ply internal walls linings, ceilings and joinery to remove plasterboard and painting
Roof overhangs to North and West for solar shading
Additional tree plantings to shade Western summer sun
High levels of roof insulation
Traditional Septic system
Locally quarried landscape materials for paths and roads
Native and low water use garden plantings
Recycled steel plate used for skirtings and for luminance contrast strips in bathrooms

What was the brief?
To create a new gallery and cellar door building that responds sensitively to the existing suite of earth buildings on site and to allow for outdoor wine tasting experiences that utilise the landscape while having the flexibility of an internal gallery for when weather is inclement. The building was to be frugal, functional and respectful.

Rosby Wines Cellar Door and Gallery in Mudgee, New South Wales – Building Information

Office Name: Cameron Anderson Architects – https://www.caarch.com.au/
Architects: Emily Wallace, Cameron Anderson Architects, Penney Constructions , Scott Smalley Partnership
Photographer: Amber Hooper
Source: BowerBird

Awards
James Barnet Award – 2021 Australian Institute of Architects NSW Country Division Architecture Awards
Commercial Architecture Award – 2021 Australian Institute of Architects NSW Country Division Architecture Awards
Highly Commended – 2021 Sustainability Awards – “Commercial Architecture – Small” Category

Photographer © Amber Hooper

Rosby Wines Cellar Door and Gallery, Mudgee, New South Wales images / information received 270325

Location: Mudgee, NSW, Australia

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