During the inception of the Distillery Mont Blanc business, we were appointed to work with the client, distiller and Mairie of St Gervais to develop a master plan for the site and project as a whole. Working as part of this larger team, we established a four-phase master plan to support the business as it grows from the initial start-up through the 10 year growth plan. 

 

The plan accommodates potential adjustments in the highways infrastructure to the east of the site, whilst preserving access to, and avoiding disturbance of, the water course below that will supply the distillery.

 

Phase 1 of the master plan establishes the presence of the distillery near the base of Mont Blanc, with a direct view of the peaks Aiguille de Bionnassy and Mont Blanc beyond.  An innovative modular design allows this initial phase to be constructed in four weeks, forming a weather-tight enclosure. The structure of the site landscaping will also be completed during phase 1, allowing this to grow so that as the later phases are complete the site as a whole will reach maturity.

 

Phase 2 provides a larger building orientated towards Mont Blanc, providing space for two large commercial stills, associated mash tun, fermentation vessels and safe. The orientation and roof shape of the building maximises the collection of solar energy during winter, protection from solar gains during the summer.  The roof form also helps to collect recovered heat dissipated from the stills to be used in secondary distillation processes, and when the later phases are complete, heating of the maturation warehouse accommodation.

 

Phases 3 and 4 provide a two stage increase in maturation warehouse accommodation and complete the transformation of the site.