98 | ARCHITECTURE Leuschke Group Architects T T Kim Bowden A very Central Otago design Rather than a straightforward rectangle, the building has a slightly tweaked, stretched hexagonal plan. A RANGE OF MODERN EARTHMOVING EQUIPMENT + MACHINE GPS SUPPLIERS AND CARTAGE OF ROCK, GRAVELS AND LANDSCAPING MATERIALS SUBDIVISIONS / ROADING HORTICULTURE / WATER RESERVOIRS & LANDSCAPING TRANSPORTATION JOHN 027 273 2480 JOHNNY 027 696 6758 WWW.CONTRAXCENTRAL.CO.NZ Heating, Ventilation & Plumbing Solutions for the South Island Proudly NZ Owned and Operated Heating & Ventilation Plumbing & Drainage Sheet Metal / SS Fabrication Design, Build & Commissioning Medical Gases Maintenance Piped Systems LPG DBC Building Services are proud to Support Leuschke Group Architects T: (03) 381 1187 E: enquiries@dbcco.co.nz dbcbuildingservices.co.nz Mt Cardrona Station’s The Homestead, designed by award-winning Leuschke Group Architects, has been shortlisted for a New Zealand Institute of Architects award. The Homestead building serves as the central gathering space for the new residential development above the Cardrona Valley. It sits within a landscape where mountains stretch in every direction. Cardrona Alpine Resort is nearby, with cross-country ski terrain across the valley, and a growing network of walking and mountain biking trails being developed. The design brief was for a building that created a heart for the development, establishing a sense of place while sitting naturally within the rural setting. “The building has been carefully positioned to be a visual icon when entering the development,” Luke Leuschke of Leuschke Group’s Arrowtown office says. “The road climbs from the valley floor and curves up towards a plateau with The Homestead in full view across the tarn.” Subtle shifts in geometry help give The Homestead that more contemporary edge Luke wanted. Rather than a straightforward rectangle, the building has a slightly tweaked, stretched hexagonal plan that nudges it away from a standard barn footprint. Luke kept the ridge lines simple and uninterrupted from a distance, so the roof still looks like the long barn form people expect in that terrain. But because the plan shifts off-grid in places, the wall and ceiling planes meet at acute, off‑axis angles, which Luke says, “make the spaces more interesting and reinforce the architectural intent”. The Homestead uses familiar rural materials, including galvanised steel recycled from barns in the region, and local stone. These are softened by the inclusion of timber cabinetry and furniture. Large glazed areas frame big-sky views across the tarn and up the valley towards the surrounding ranges. The glass is recessed behind large structural timber fins providing shading. Inside, the building includes a club room and lounge, office space, kitchen and casual hosting spaces, as well as wellness facilities, such as a gym, hot pool, sauna and ice bath. Future stages will include a restaurant and bar, commercial kitchen and indoor pool for the growing community. The Homestead was also intended to set the tone for the design quality of the wider development, establishing a clear identity from the outset. “It’s not urban, it’s not city – it’s rural and very Central Otago,” Luke says. “But I always set out for it to be quite unique and ambitious.” After studying at RMIT University in Melbourne and working overseas, Luke returned to New Zealand to join the Auckland-based practice founded by his parents before establishing Leuschke Group’s South Island office four years ago. The Arrowtown-based office allows the firm to work more closely with clients and projects in the lower South Island. Alongside the Homestead, Leuschke Group works across a mix of residential and commercial projects, including work at the Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds, which carries out winter vehicle testing for global brands, and the Amisfield winery in Mount Pisa.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=