Completed:
2012

Builder:
Davidson Building Ltd.

Photographer:
Mickey Ross

Strong in its geometry and robust in its material make-up, this high-performing home for a young family with two children sets up a strategy for ease of living on this Wānaka section in an established neighbourhood. A cruciform plan is crucial to its success. The shape anchors a floorplan which, inside and out, has all bases covered.

Internally, the kitchen is located at the junction, in the heart of the action - a connector in form and in function. To the east lies the parents’ suite while, on the other side, a block of utilities is a further buffer from the hurly burly of active youngsters whose bedrooms are to the west. These are identical in size and compact, but a dedicated living area gives room for expression and the bathroom and WC are separate so morning routines flow more smoothly. 

Above the main living room, which occupies an arm of the crucifix, a mezzanine tucks in under a roofline that soars to 2.7 metres. This loft adapts to the action, whether that’s a quiet whisky with a view of Treble Cone, an extra place for guests to sleep, or a bird’s eye perch for the kids to settle into unnoticed, catching snippets of conversation drifting up from below.

The T-shape also sets up three outdoor rooms, for shelter no matter the weather: cue morning coffee to the east, evening drinks to the west and, out from the kitchen, decking on the southern elevation gives welcome respite from Norwesterlies.

Dark, corrugated steel and vertical cedar are a durable duo that clad the upper and lower levels respectively. They define the geometry but, tonally, deliquesce into the tawny, rugged backdrop. A subtle hem of red on the metal coat is a touch of whimsy echoed in a red handrail on the stairs.