As locations for holiday homes go, Wānaka, in Central Otago, is right up there with New Zealand’s finest. It is the gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park, and sits amongst mountain ranges on a pristine lake. It has a huge selection of summer and winter outdoor activities on offer. It has become a popular holiday destination and has had a permanent and holiday population boom in the last decade to reflect this.

Just a 45 minute drive from Queenstown airport, it is fairly straightforward to reach from any main centre. Barry Condon of Sarah Scott Architects, had clients that were making the most of the short flight and drive from Auckland, and wanted to build a holiday house on an elevated suburban section on the eastern shores of Lake Wānaka. The site has panoramic views over Wānaka township, the lake and the surrounding Southern Alps. The clients wanted to take advantage of the outlook in a warm and inviting holiday home that would comfortably accommodate their extended family and friends.

Condon describes the plan as shifting and aligning to capture the best orientation for views of the surrounding landscape, and using these subtle changes in alignment to define the primary living, master bedroom, and bedroom wings.

Having established the best views to the west were available from the higher end of the site, the living and bedroom wings were arranged on this level offering the opportunity to place the garage and ancillary spaces underneath the main house at the lower end of the site. This means that each spot has a terrific outlook and no space in the house misses out on great views: Black Peak from the master bedroom, Treble Cone from the living room and Mt Roy and Ruby Island from the bedroom wings.

Condon designed the large, open plan living space to protect the back courtyard from spring and autumn nor’westers, without compromising the views through to the surrounding mountains and lake. During the summer this living pavilion can be opened up completely on either side.

The cantilevered study offers a dramatic first impression for visitors, with the overhang creating a shelter for the yacht. Internal materials and shapes reflect scaled down moments of the external form. The curved acoustic ceiling of the living room accentuates the butterfly roof above it, drawing the eye upwards and outwards towards the mountains. A sculpted schist-clad fireplace forms the focal point of the living space.

Condon used a simple palate of enduring materials such as contrasting natural timber against curved plastered masonry with locally sourced schist stonework. The effect is a continuation of what Condon has achieved - a holiday house that feels solid and secure, carefully balanced with warm, light and open spaces.

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Note: These are stories from our archives and, since the time of writing, some details may have changed including names, personnel of specific firms, registration status, etc.