Located in northern San Luis Obispo County, Fetzer Five Rivers Ranch Winery utilized groundbreaking technology in the design and processing methods for its facility. Designed for a 20,000-ton grape capacity with almost 200,000 square feet, the latest green technology in building and new techniques in wine processing were used throughout. Work included the complete master planning, research and development of new wine making processes, and administering an extensive agency approval process. Green building techniques, including sustainable materials, energy efficiency, life cycle costing and renewable/reuseable concepts, were all incorporated into the programming and design work.

The exterior design plays off the typical surrounding agricultural buildings. Visual layering of the building, both in three dimensions and color, was critical to help break down the large mass of the project.