Description:

Situated lakeside within Ohau village, the brief for this design was to create a cosy family retreat within an alpine environment. The aim of the dwelling was not to detract from its landscape, but to merely be a simple use of space where family and friends could appreciate the setting and panoramic views of the lake and mountain ranges.

Our response to the design brief was to a create a highly functional yet modestly sized abode that allowed a comparatively similar external living area linking seamlessly to the internal living spaces. The living areas are accompanied by four private bedrooms and a fifth multi-use space that features two built in bunk beds. A sloped singular roofline with cantilevered eaves helps to protect the dwelling from the prevailing weather elements. High level clerestory windows and a frameless glass skylight situated above the shower, provide panoramic views of the mountains, lake and stars on a clear night. A specific material palate was chosen for its bucolic colours and how these would reflect the sites environment. A combination of natural coloured material choice and a slanted mono-pitch roofline has helped with the amalgamation of the two.

Untouched nature prompted a design solution that would have minimal impact on the landscape which led to a timber piled foundation system that gently cantilevers over natural stone filled gabion baskets. These elements encompass a feeling of ‘light impact’ with the heavier border helping to ground the structure. Due to the natural topography and extremes brought by an alpine location meant the weather conditions and sustainable design also needed to be accounted for. Natural, renewable building materials, a high-performance building envelope, efficient heating systems and integrated passive design strategies work together to create a low carbon emitting structure. The roof line and the orientation were designed with maximum high level solar access in mind due to the neighbouring house situated to the north-west of the site being on a higher-level building platform.

Site orientation proved puzzling, with views to the east, northern boundaries shaded by mountains and the least exceptional site boundary being facing west. This was solved by specific window placement and large interconnecting outdoor living space that allows for a highly functional building footprint that works with the relevant site’s constraints rather than against them. Landscaping features were driven by the Ohau design guide, recommending a mixture of native grasses and tussocks that had minimal impact on the landscape. Functional internal living and sleeping spaces camouflage seamlessly with outdoor landscaped living, providing a highly usable and multi-faceted space.