Up to 65 % less gravel for basement wall protection of Kellerai Bozen winery, Bolzano, Italy

Defender used 65 % less gravel to protect the underground production areas of Kellerei Bozen, Italy’s first ClimateHouse-certified winery, ensuring long-term wall ventilation, drainage, and structural durability.

Kellerei Bozen’s 20.000 m² headquarters is a low-energy facility combining offices, a wine shop, and an ultra-modern production area located mainly underground. 

Designed by Dell’Agnolo - Kelderer Architekturbüro, the project was conceived to meet ClimateHouse (CasaClima) low-energy standards, integrating hillside passive cooling, a gravity-flow underground production layout, and a ventilated bronze-aluminium façade that reduces heat gain while forming its vine-leaf identity. 

Defender contributed to the building’s sustainable construction by protecting the waterproofing layer of the winery’s extensive underground production spaces from backfill pressure and hydrostatic loads. Its integrated system replaced traditional 20 cm gravel drainage layers with a 7 cm recycled plastic panel, reducing material requirements and creating a ventilated, drained cavity. This solution delivered several benefits for the project’s sustainable profitability:

• Lightweight, stackable, easy-to-install panels, improving onsite logistics on the sloped construction area,
• 65 % reduction in backfill requirements, reducing gravel use and minimizing transport and CO₂ emissions,
• Even distribution of soil pressure, protecting the waterproofing membrane,
• Continuous ventilation and drainage, preventing moisture build-up on basement walls,
• Long-term structural durability, essential for stable, controlled wine production and underground storage.

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