Pouring with purpose: Wayfinder’s bold new chapter

When Wayfinder enlisted KHA Studio to design their new winery, they weren’t just looking for a building, they were looking for a design-led structure that valued sustainability and respected the surrounding ecosystem. Director Patrick Kosky says the starting point was simple: listen to the land first.

“We were particularly interested in Wayfinder’s values of ecosystem thinking and environmental sustainability,” he says. “The winery is a building that emerges from the landscape, blurring the distinction between the natural and the constructed.”

The site offered an unusual opportunity – it’s an old turkey-nest dam, which allowed the team to nestle the entire winery right into the earth. From above, the roof is incognito, planted with restored native vegetation. From ground level, the winery appears to blend into the canopy of surrounding marri and jarrah.

Part of the roof hosts endemic grasses and shrubs, while the other carries a vast photovoltaic array. Underfoot, rammed earth walls provide stable thermal mass, while sustainably sourced Australian timber reinforces both the aesthetic and the environmental ethos. In every direction, the building feels as though it were sculpted by the land rather than imposed upon it.

By sinking the structure below the natural ground level, the architecture enabled something winemaker Andrew Trio has long dreamed of: a truly gravity-fed winery.

“This is the ideal scenario – having the vineyard and the winery on the same site,” Trio explains. Fruit is handpicked from the surrounding vines, chilled overnight and tipped directly into receival bins on the upper level. From there, juice flows downwards through the winery without harsh pumping.

“Every element has been designed to support gentle winemaking, energy efficiency and a more intuitive workflow,” Trio says.

He likens the approach to slow cooking – low input, maximum nuance. “Our goal is to get the red grapes into tank either intact or only slightly split open. We’re aiming for long, slow fermentations and elegant wines.”

It’s thoughtful winemaking expressed through thoughtful architecture, with the line between the two becoming delightfully blurred.

While gravity handles the juice, the winery itself runs on sunlight. From the outset, the Wayfinder team made a bold commitment: the site would be designed not just for sustainability, but for true energy independence.

Unlimited Energy Australia (UEA) led the technical charge, working with consultants, engineers and the design team over two years to model and construct a renewable energy system capable of powering vineyard operations, winery production, hospitality spaces and future expansion. By late 2025, the system (a meticulously designed network of solar generation and battery storage) was commissioned, marking one of the most significant sustainability milestones in Wayfinder’s journey so far.

“Sustainability isn’t bolted on here, it’s built in,” says Trio. And that includes everything from thermal mass cooling and rainwater harvesting to future CO₂ capture, composting loops, and regenerative farming systems that already include a thriving market garden, greenhouse, and revegetation corridors.

If the past few years have been defined by feasibility studies, modelling, trenching and design work, the past six months have been the moment Wayfinder truly landed.

“It’s an exciting time for us,” Trio says. “We’re moving out of the design and construction phase and preparing for our first vintage, while also welcoming guests into this beautiful space. We’ve been flying under the radar, so I think people will be really surprised when they see the scale and ambition behind this project.”

The vineyard achieved ACO organic certification in 2022 and continues to expand its regenerative practices. Meanwhile, the team’s Wayfinder Wine Bar & Restaurant in Dunsborough has already begun introducing visitors to the Wayfinder philosophy – one that seamlessly unites wine, food, land and learning.

Once the cellar door and restaurant open in mid-2026, Wayfinder’s new winery will be a fully immersive destination.

Guests can expect seated tastings overlooking the restored landscape, guided winery tours tracing the journey from vine to barrel to bottle and a dining program built around estate-grown produce from the market garden and orchard. An underground blending room will host private tastings and workshops, while the garden pavilion will cater to community events, families and visitors eager to learn more about regenerative agriculture.

“We hope to create a strong sense of connection between everything happening on the property,” says Trio. “From organic grape growing and winemaking to bees, farm animals, revegetation and the restaurant, everything will be connected.”

In a region celebrated for world-class wine and sustainable land stewardship, Wayfinder feels both deeply Margaret River and boldly future-focused – a regenerative blueprint for what wineries can become.