This home sits high in Wanaka, with extraordinary views over Lake Wanaka to the mountains beyond.

A home that caters for large family gatherings, whether they are for swimming and barbequing, or skiing, was the focus of this project.

The home is oriented to the views over Lake Wanaka, with uninterrupted views from the outdoor area and the swimming pool, while a sheltered breakfast area on the other side of the house allows for quiet coffee in the sun in the morning.

The original home on this site, high on Clifton Hill, was destroyed in the Canterbury Earthquakes.

Our clients came to us with a simple brief. A modern, family friendly home that performed well and provided a warm, healthy and comfortable home.

The site is very steep, north-facing and enjoys incredible views over the ocean and city. The design was carefully undertaken, in close collaboration with our clients, to achieve a home that maximises the views, ensures privacy and achieves our clients' desired outcome.

A family, returning to Christchurch after time away after the Canterbury earthquakes, were keen to return to a home that supported their family life, promoted the health of their young children and with an excellent design pedigree.

The design was focused on the idea of a simple, "classic Kiwi" design. We utilised the idea of a classic Kiwi farm shed; a simple form with steel and timber cladding, as the basis of our design.

This home caters for a growing family and enables their active outdoor lifestyle. The design was centred on the idea of an ‘urban tramping hut’, our clients having had many adventures together in traditional DoC huts in the Aotearoa wilderness.

We found original construction drawings of New Zealand back country huts, drawn in 1957; these and photographs of more modern DoC back-country huts informed the design philosophy.

Pukeraki loosely translates as Place up High (literally, Sky Hill). Our clients, John, Jenny and extended family, are passionate outdoor folks, particularly enjoying skiing and mountain biking.

The family was looking for a mountain retreat that was cosy for a couple, but could easily cope with gatherings of family and friends of up to twelve people.

John and Jenny were looking for a warm and friendly retreat; a place of sanctuary and peace where they could relax after a hard day’s riding or skiing.

This home, with the original design by Marc Coulthard, came to us at concept design stage with a simple question, "Can we achieve a Certified Passive House?"

Minor design changes and careful attention to detailing has resulted in a very traditional home without compromising on performance.

We worked closely with our clients on this project to meet their exacting standards for finishing and quality, while ensuring that the home would always meet the Passive House Standard.