| 95 Canterbury: Natural Log Homes BUILDING Log homes perfect fit for ‘eco-conscious’ T T Russell Fredric The rustic charm of log homes is infectious. Increasing demand for Natural Log Homes means the business has grown from one house being built at a time to currently having five houses under construction throughout the South Island. 03 693 8022 jess@jparchitecture.nz www.jpa.net.nz 79 Brophy Road, RD 21, Geraldine 7991 It comes as no surprise Graeme Mould has loved the rustic charm of log houses for almost as long as he can remember. The owner of Geraldine-based Natural Log Homes has been building hand-crafted log homes for more than 30 years and was inspired as a teenager when, while on holiday, he and a friend built a crude, horizontal log walled shelter in a plantation big enough for them to sleep in. After qualifying as a carpenter and while living and working in Mount Cook village, he attended two log home construction courses; the first taught by a Twizel school teacher and the second more advanced course in Hanmer Springs taught by an experienced American log house builder. Soon after leaving Mount Cook Graeme started South Island Log Homes and has never looked back with log projects, both simple and complex, commercial and residential being completed in New Zealand, Australia, USA and Japan. He also tutors a log house construction course each year. Although there are commonalities, the appeal of a log home is different for different people, he says. “For some people it’s the strength of what the log structure looks like or that it’s natural products or the tactile nature of the walls.” Increasing demand means the business has grown from one house being built at a time to currently having five houses under construction throughout the South Island. Natural Log Homes employs 12 staff. The specialised nature of construction means each craftsperson has to be trained from scratch. The logs, almost exclusively Douglas Fir grown in and sourced from South Canterbury commercial plantations, are crafted and prepared at the company’s Geraldine yard before being transported to the building site. “They are some of the best Douglas Fir in the Southern Hemisphere, they’re beautiful straight poles. I order them house-by-house.” Natural Log Homes houses are a great fit for today’s eco-conscious generation and the logs inherently have a high insulation value. “Logs store carbon for life, they are natural, not processed by a machine in any way.” Natural Log Homes has built many awe-inspiring grand lodge-style homes, but the size and design can vary considerably in their complexity or simplicity, as can the degree of conventional construction features including internal walls and ceilings. “A log home doesn’t have to be all wood, they’re modern beautiful homes now.” Living spaces can be grandiose, large and open with majestic stone fire places, or cosy warm quiet spaces, to relax and unwind in, log walls create warmth, comfort and ambience. “A bonus of exposed wood inside your home is that it rests comfortably beside all other finishes. Stone, glass, ceramics, painted drywall, dressed-wood, chrome, aluminium, steel, wrought iron, polycarbonate, and furnishings all look great next to natural wood. Most log home designs have an abundance of vertical space, but do not have to be scaled up to alpine lodge sizes to appreciate the charm of these upper flooring layout options. Lofts can contain bedrooms, bunk rooms, bathrooms, studies or offices, or just be open plan lounging areas. “They are always the warmest place in the home and by incorporating dormer windows, skylights, or glass gable ends these spaces become amazingly beautiful.” “Logs store carbon for life, they are natural, not processed by a machine in any way.”
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