84 | T T Kim Bowden Designed for spectacular location The home follows the same north-south line as the Remarkables, with a monopitch roof that lifts towards the mountains. Strachan Group Architects & Precision Builds “It’s about privacy and tucking the house into the site as far as we could within the approved building platform, to create a kind of private oasis.” ARCHITECTURE For Auckland-based architect Roy Tebbutt, there’s something magnetic about a Central Otago site, especially one at the base of the Remarkables mountain range dotted with native matagouri shrub and rocky outcrops. The latest design from SGA (Strachan Group Architects), where Roy is an associate, is under construction in Queenstown, between Jack’s Point Preserve and Hanleys Farm – two subdivisions in the town’s pegged-for-growth southern corridor. The project is a permanent family home for a builder and his young family, and it’s shaping up to be something special. “It’s about privacy and tucking the house into the site as far as we could within the approved building platform, to create a kind of private oasis,” Roy says. But there was no sacrificing the incredible views in the process, and orientation was key. The home follows the same north-south line as the Remarkables, with a monopitch roof that lifts towards the mountains, and glazing to the east that runs right up to the roof. Courtyards nestled into the building’s northern side provide shelter and privacy, with views across the valley. In a place of climate extremes, the design had to work hard, and the house balances warmth in winter with coolness in summer through elements of passive solar design, high-performing insulation, PVC joinery, and an exposed concrete slab for thermal mass. “We worked to control the sun from the west, with less glazing in that direction to decrease the summer overheating. Then we increased glazing to the east to get the morning sun and counteract the overshadowing from the mountains,” Roy says. “The living areas have been placed to the north of the site, the service spaces and car courts to the south, creating sheltered courtyards. We arranged the house to protect from the cold winds coming off Lake Whakatipu to the south.” While the exterior takes inspiration from the surrounding land and its history, when it comes to the materials and colour palette, the overall effect is very much contemporary. “It’s definitely a modern house form – it doesn’t have the traditional gabled design you see so often in the area,” Roy says. “But there’s weathered timber and corten weathering steel corrugate, which is a bit of a nod to the miners’ huts, and ochre, earthy tones that tie into the tussock grass and the colours of Otago.” While construction is ongoing, the bones of the design and how it fits within the landscape are now visible, and Roy is confident with how it’s all unfolding. The project has been a collaborative one. The owner is building the house himself, with a fellow builder under his company, Precision Builds. SGA has partnered with Gezellig Interiors on the fit-out, Ayres Architects on documentation, and Jared Lockhart for landscape design. SGA is based in Auckland, but works across the country on everything from coastal and alpine homes to medium-density urban projects and small public buildings. For Roy, working in the southern lakes region is always a highlight. “It’s the landscape, the lifestyle, and the performance challenge,” he says. DWCIVIL.COM 029 122 3770 BULK EARTHWORKS HOUSE PADS RETAINING WALLS DRAINAGE TRANSPORT LANDSCAPING FOOTPATHS DRIVEWAYS DEMOLITIONS COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL QUEENSTOWN Proudly supporting Strachan Group Architects & Precision Builds MATT TURNER - 027 953 4216 matt@turnerelectrical.nz | turnerelectrical.nz
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