68 | Sanctuary in Wanaka Photo: Sam Hartnett T T from page 66 Roberts Gray Architects “It was about creating spaces that express and accommodate how the family live today, while also contributing positively to the environment....” ARCHITECTURE “When I was 10, we moved from our bach to the original house on this site. Wānaka was a seasonal town, and the bach played a central role in our family holidays. My family’s connection to Wānaka goes back generations, with my mother holidaying there as a child and my parents skiing at Treble Cone when it first opened. “By the time we were able to take on this commission, Wānaka had evolved into a permanent destination. We had many conversations, and understand the site’s constraints – views, wind, climate, and proximity to town – and these insights shaped the design.” The project had long been imagined, finally coming to fruition thanks to having the right amount of experience to deliver something special, and the timing of the next generation coming of age. “My parents were incredibly trusting with us interpreting these changing family dynamics in built form, and were productively involved in the process once the first version of the concept design was proposed.” The letters S.K.I. reference the region’s alpine snow amenities while also being a playful acronym – ‘spending the kids’ inheritance’. In reality, the deeper purpose is about honouring place and people and walking the line between individual and collective identity. “For us, it was about creating spaces that express and accommodate how the family live today, while also contributing positively to the environment beyond the site boundary and beyond our lifetime.” In this inter-generational sanctuary, the spaces between the rooms are just as important as the rooms themselves. It is easy to imagine this home being somewhere remote, yet the added advantage here is its proximity to town amenities. Hybrid construction techniques project mass, depth and warmth on one hand, and openness and operability on the other. European-style construction solutions deliver a high level of warmth and shelter. “A double-skin masonry system enabled a fully insulated envelope for better thermal performance, while the lightweight series of timber screens adjust in relation to changing sun and wind conditions,” Jimmy explains. The design draws inspiration, too, from the region’s mining heritage and its inherent material honesty and craft, along with the local vernacular. Materials are expressed in their natural state, designed to gradually weather as the building ages. To have this project recognised by their peers has been “incredibly validating” for the Roberts Gray Architects team, now busy with a suite of new houses in the Queenstown Lakes region and a host of exciting projects in the Auckland market, Te Arai region and Australia. Their goal is to continue building experience across a range of scales and typologies, investing the same thoughtfulness and precision on every new project. K www.cabinetree.co.nz m 021 270 8688 k info@cabinetree.co.nz 9 7A Venture Cresent, Wanaka SUGI - JAPANESE CEDAR SUSTAINABLY GROWN IN THE FORESTS OF JAPAN, MANUFACTURED IN NZ STEEPED IN CENTURIES OF TRADITION WHERE ONLY SUGI CAN BE CALLED AUTHENTIC YAKISUGI. NATURALLY DURABLE, UNIQUE FINISHES FOR INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR CLADDING AND DESIGN OPTIONS OFFERING BESPOKE SOLUTIONS FOR ARCHITECTS, DESIGNERS AND HOMEOWNERS CONTACT US ON 0800 698 462
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