Description:

Located on a historic 36,000-acre working sheep station in Craigieburn Valley, Flockhill Villas offer luxury accommodation and a unique opportunity for guests to immerse themselves in the dramatic landscape of the Southern Alps.

The client’s brief called for accommodation that would sit harmoniously within its wild alpine setting — intimate in scale, offering luxury, privacy, and flexibility, while fostering a deep connection to the surrounding environment.

The design response was a cluster of seven gable-roofed villas that reflect the layered peaks of the mountains. Nestled into the landscape, the villas are orientated to maximise privacy and seclusion, while capturing spectacular views beyond. Each consists of three volumes: a bedroom wing on either side of a central living and entertainment space, with guests able to choose whether to include the living space in their booking.

The neutral palette is drawn from the surrounding landscape — greys of alluvial fields, gravel scars, and braided rivers are paired with dark timber and warmer tones reflective of nearby forestry. This understated palette fosters a sense of belonging while setting itself apart from the red ochres of the farm buildings prevalent on the Station.

Exterior materials include dark-stained vertical timber cladding and precast concrete panels beneath a vaulted charcoal roof that appears to float above the solid walls. These finishes flow through to the interior, keeping the palette minimal, calming, and cohesive. The precast concrete walls pay homage to the rugged landscape while providing acoustic privacy, durability, and a low-maintenance finish. Standing seam roofs are engineered to withstand the site’s harsh alpine conditions, while vaulted ceilings and exposed rafters create a spacious interior with uninterrupted mountain views.

Creating privacy for guests was challenging given the number of villas in relatively close proximity. A sense of seclusion has been achieved by subtly tweaking the orientation of each villa and contouring the landscape to block unwanted views. Within each villa, privacy was achieved by recessing the lounge space from bedroom zones, using substantial concrete walls, and projecting external walls to the edge of the outdoor zones.

Inside, heavy cast concrete flanks each volume, grounding the buildings and providing a sense of refuge from the elements. This material weight is balanced by expansive north-facing glazing, which opens the villas to the immense, gravel-scarred mountain-scape beyond.

Bathrooms are pared back, offering a calming sanctuary flooded with natural light. Neutral grey tiles mirror the surrounding landscape — the rocky outcrops that define the Craigieburn Valley and the scree slopes that scar the surrounding peaks.

Bedrooms draw inspiration from the high country, with deep greens, rusty autumn tones, and dusky pinks echoing native flora. Muted blues, soft greys and layered textures sit over natural timber flooring and rafters, while a dark-stained veneer wall is softened by a bedhead upholstered in deep chocolate New Zealand wool.

Flockhill Villas offer a truly immersive alpine retreat: luxurious yet understated, and deeply attuned to the elemental beauty of New Zealand’s high country — the epitome of quiet luxury in a setting of serene beauty.