98 | Sorted Architecture ARCHITECTURE Eye-catching QT home turning heads The Hammock Ridge house, designed by Wanaka-based Sorted Architecture, combines traditional 19th Century Central Otago housebuilding with American mountain retreat and European country house styles. Photo: Marina Mathews Photography T T Rosa Watson An architecturally designed Queenstown home is turning heads with its stunning character that incorporates looks from here and around the world. The Hammock Ridge house, designed by Wanaka-based Sorted Architecture, combines traditional 19th Century Central Otago house-building with American mountain retreat and European country house styles. It has graced the front page of Trends Magazine, and is the company’s most googled project. The three-bedroom house with separate garage was originally designed for a different location but was modified to fit the clients’ dream lifestyle block in the hills above Lake Wakatipu. The exterior is made up of western red cedar timber and bagged schist, and features a sheltered outdoor room with a wood-burning stone fireplace and chimney. The lower floor includes an open-plan great room, formal dining area, kitchen, and a mezzanine level above that houses the family’s book collection and home office. Sorted Architecture director and architectural designer Steve Humpherson said they had a strong brief from the Wellington-based clients, who wanted a house with plenty of character, sympathetic building materials and landscaping to anchor the house to the land and take advantage of the landscape. It was originally designed for a site in Queensberry but after changing their mind they looked for something outside of Queenstown. They found the perfect site on a lifestyle block above Lake Wakatipu. The original design of the three-bedroom home had to be manipulated to fit the new site, Steve said. “We mirrored it and flipped it so that it fitted the site for the views and sun and everything.” The clients were keen on the Central Otago “look” and the build included schist stone and exposed hardwood trusses. “They wanted more of a formal living space with a separate kind of farmhouse kitchen space.” Sorted Architecture has been operating from Wanaka for coming up to 30 years and have seen many changes and developments in the industry over that time. “We’ve grown and shrunk grown and shrunk. Right now we are a small team of three of us.” One of the bigger changes he had struck was the sheer amount of documentation involved compared to what it used to be. “It’s probably doubled or even tripled.” Building techniques had also changed over that time. “The introduction of cavities behind the cladding and the detailing to window and door openings has seen multiple changes increasing weather tightness and thermal efficiencies.” There were many new products and construction methods available for builds such as new cladding options, Structurally Insulation Panel systems (SIPS), and more options for thermally broken windows and doors. And there were more construction details to consider like insulation, and standard cold or warm roof construction, where insulation is above the structure. “There’s better building knowledge as far as how buildings perform so that they are more airtight with controlled ventilation making for warmer and healthier homes.” Central Otago provided spectacular sites for building projects, but also added some environmental factors to tackle. Snow and wind had to be taken into account in the construction. Steve said building costs have increased significantly since COVID and the focus of the company’s work currently was alterations and adding value to existing homes. “However, alterations can be more costly than a new build per square metre. “Our clients and the building code demands a higher standard of construction, which adds to the cost of building but offers a better quality of living.” www.sortedarchitecture.co.nz DESIGNED FOR LIFE. www.christiebrothersbuilding.co.nz info@christiebrothersbuilding.co.nz Brad Christie 027 530 7188 Matt Christie 027 430 7167 Christie Brothers Building
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