86 | Design references whaling history Rendering for the Fishermans Bay site Rendering for Omaka Valley VIneyard Design Marlborough T T Hugh de Lacy “One of the key materials we used was Corten steel panels that develop a natural surface rust, alongside Australian hardwood cladding, which will silver off over time and help the holiday home blend into its surroundings.” ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN A holiday home in the outer Marlborough Sounds, right next to the historic Perano whaling station in Fisherman’s Bay, and overlooking Tory Channel, was just the sort of challenge Design Marlborough Architecture loves. The design that Benjamin Stace developed for the client in Fisherman’s Bay client took full account of the significance of the site of the longest-running 20th-century whaling station in the world, which operated from 1911 to 1964. “The design we came up with had to reference the shapes and forms, no less than the history of the whaling station with its existing remains of rusty steel and hardwood beams,” Ben says. “One of the key materials we used was Corten steel panels that develop a natural surface rust, alongside Australian hardwood cladding, which will silver off over time and help the holiday home blend into its surroundings.” The completion of the project will add to the reputation Blenheim-based Design Marlborough has built for itself for innovative and sympathetic designs for a range of new homes, renovations and additions in the region. Founded by Ben following three years of working for local architectural firm Palatchie Architecture, Design Marlborough has been in operation for six years. Ben launched the company due to his ability to interact favourably with clients, taking them through the design process from start to finish. He was subsequently joined in the business by Taryn Gilbert, who has a background in the hospitality and human resources industries but was looking for a more creative career. Their output has varied widely within the residential construction industry, with an example being the large-scale extension they have designed for an existing home on a vineyard in the Omaka Valley west of Blenheim. “The current home is extremely basic, a rectangular box, and our design features extensions to the front and to one side, with the two linked together by glazing,” Ben says. “The idea was to modernise the building, making it more complex and interesting – in its original state the house was pretty dull. The clients are fantastic, with a lot of personality, and that will show through with the completion of the extensions.” While Design Marlborough has a website and is active on social media, a good 80% of its work comes through referrals. Until a couple of months ago Ben and Taryn had enjoyed the luxury of a lighter workload after being under the pump during the building boom that followed the Covid shut-down. “But in the last couple of months things have really taken off again, no doubt as a result of declining interest rates,” Ben says. “A lot of our clients have not been impacted by interest rates going in either direction, but there’s been this surge in inquiries since the Reserve Bank moved on them. No doubt, further interest rate cuts are in the pipeline, possibly before Christmas, and that will give a further boost to a strengthening market,” he says. Registered Electrician COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURAL Proudly supporting Design Marlborough and their clients electrical needs Jason Chapman 027 269 9960 jason@revolutionelectric.nz www.revolutionelectric.nz
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