Contemporary living meets a cottage look in this new home

So what are your leading requirements when embarking on a new home build? Spacious, practical interiors seem one likely ask, and an honest response to the area and its history might be another? If you throw in sustainable living, then this home might well be your dream home.

Elevated above the Hills Golf Course in Arrowtown, this contemporary home, designed by architect Tony Koia, pays generous homage to the modest early cottages synonymous with the area – with a simple gabled form, chimney and lean-to roof.

Here, the iconic southern cottage form is interpreted in natural materials with slate-like cladding, dark stained cedar, metalwork and the use of local schist, says Koia.

“Even the chimney is expressed externally at the end of the living room, another nod to the classic cottage aesthetic.”

The home’s split level configuration allows the garaging to be tucked below street level – avoiding cars detracting from the cottage look – with two large master bedrooms directly above.

“The main living-entertainment floor is on a mid level, located between these levels to provide an elevated view over a busy street, which in this quiet, picturesque town is a relative term,” says Koia. 

While achieving an easy sense of spaciousness, the house is actually contained within a fairly modest footprint. However, the architect made use of every square metre of the site, including maximising indoor-outdoor opportunities via a series of courtyards and open spaces.

The home’s split-level design means you  only have a few steps from the garage up to the living spaces, and from the living spaces it’s only a short flight up to the bedrooms.

“This house really is set up for social living, with the outlooks naturally a star attraction,” says Koia. 

“While views to the countryside at the front are uninterrupted by the street below, at the rear, the generous-sized living area opens up to a courtyard with a garden wall and built-in fire finished in stone. This sheltered area is served with an outdoor dining setting."

The pale decor in the living area intentionally takes back seat to the views, while a stone tile feature wall with built-in fireplace and shelving helps anchor the home. And while the rear of the kitchen has a slate-look splashback and dark timber tones, the island is gleaming white and trained on the scenery.

Although the outlook straight ahead seems to go on forever, there are some near neighbours. Luckily, or rather by finely considered design, this house makes great use of selective sightlines. 

So while one end of the home is largely finished in glass, the other end – close to the neighbours – has a slatted external element that effectively screens them from sight.

Utilising good passive solar principles, high insulation and underfloor heating, this home captures the sun at the right time of day, while reducing sunlight during the hottest part of the afternoon in summer. 

Strategic use of solid wall planes, clerestory windows and external shades all play a part in this solar control.

Overall, the house is designed as an Earth-friendly sustainable home, with a focus on low maintenance products and whole of life costs.

Story by: Charles Moxham

Photography by: Jamie Cobel