| 85 T T Virginia Wright Sustainability drives creative team Chaney & Norman’s overriding ethos of sustainability, working to do the most they can with as little as possible, is evident in this recently completed Cardrona River Terrace house. ARCHITECTURE Chaney & Norman Architects Chaney & Norman Architects was established by Beth Chaney-Walker and Chris Norman in 2018 with the shared intention to use their extensive experience in residential architecture to focus on designing sustainable, highly liveable homes that reflect both their clients’needs and the landscape around them. “All of our projects look quite different because we don’t chase a particular style. We work closely with our clients and the site itself to create homes that feel specific to the people living in them, and genuinely grounded in the landscape,” explains Beth. Chaney & Norman’s overriding ethos of sustainability, working to do the most they can with as little as possible, is evident in the recently completed Cardrona River Terrace house. Clad in Colorsteel, its Homestar 8 rating reflects their usual practice of working closely with the New Zealand Green Council, and the frequent choice of Colorsteel cladding comes as part of their standard approach of looking at materials through a sustainable lens. “Durability is a huge part of sustainability for us,” Beth says. “It’s about how a home performs and weathers over decades. Colorsteel gives us that robustness, but it also allows flexibility with different profiles and colours so each project can still have its own character.” The Pointy Flat House in Hāwea Flat, which was one of six national finalists in the 2025 Residential Building of the Year Category of the ColorSteel Awards, had its individual character and smaller scale highlighted as standout elements by the jury. Coming up with its unique style began with Chris and Beth meeting the clients. However, with Beth soon going on parental leave, Zoë Thompson led the concept design under Chris as project architect. “The clients wanted a modern change to the existing, original, concrete farm shed that would be closely connected to the landscape and its stunning mountain views,”says Zoë. “We were also mindful of the character in the existing community, so we chose to keep the shed and really lean into its concrete and timber character. It’s become the anchor for the whole house, with contemporary pods opening up to the view on each side – an intentional contrast between the old and the new, while still sitting quietly in the surrounding landscape.” Coming up with the right design meant creating a flexible home for comfortable dayto-day living for two, while still accommodating visiting family, without compromising the clients’ needs for privacy and space to work remotely. Having taken the time to understand how her clients lived in their space, (standard practice for Chaney & Norman), Zoë included a mezzanine space in one of the pods for one of her clients to retreat to, and designed one of the bedrooms in the original building to double as a remote working space for the other. They chose Kahu Metal profile Colorsteel for both the upper cladding and roofing, knowing its modern profile would contrast beautifully with the classic corrugated iron and cast concrete of the original building. They worked closely with Holloway Construction to refine the detail where the roof meets the wall, reinforcing a seamless look while allowing for expansion and contraction as temperatures change along with the seasons. The net effect balances rural heritage with contemporary living and environmental stewardship in a way that is both visually strong and genuinely comfortable to live in year-round. Wherever their projects take them, Chaney & Norman Architects combine design and technical resolution to give their clients a home built around their specific needs, while sitting comfortably on the land as if it was always meant to be there. Proud partners with Chaney & Norman Architects. STRUCTURAL + CIVIL + GEOTECHNICAL “What a great project this build was. The energy and intent presented with clarity by the Clients, the Chaney Norman team and the Building crew, developed into a synergy sculpting the brief to the point it became functional Art.” Brendan J Holloway 0274 904 100 www.hollowayconstruction.nz
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