Looking through you

Designed by Kelly Rush, Krush Architecture

From the building designer:

Project description

Our homeowner came to us to design their dream home on their breathtaking site located on the outskirts of Queenstown. 

The site has picturesque views of Lake Wakatipu in one direction and a magnificent backdrop of The Remarkables in the other. 

The brief was to design a large single storey home that complemented the surrounding environment while also being able to take full advantage of the location. 

As the owner’s family are located overseas they required a design that was able to function as a busy family home including grandchildren, while also being able to be closed off when it was just them.

Design features

Twisted roofs at various heights and slopes mimic the ridgeline of the mountains beyond to create a home that fits in with the surrounding environment. 

The twisted roofs are broken up by linking flat roofs that separate them.

The combination of the twisted and flat roofs allow high level windows between that frame the views from different angles and allows direct sun into the spaces from different directions.

Claddings were selected to be sympathetic to the surroundings and so reflect similar colour tones found on the mountain range.

The main outdoor living space complete with a covered flat roof is located on the North-East to provide protection from the prevailing wind off the lake to the North-West. 

Large glazing to each face of the building is placed to allow direct views through the heart of the house towards the lake. 

Two sets of louvres are placed in the covered roof and can be opened up to allow sunlight to stream in.

Thermally efficient

Due to its location, the house was designed to be thermally efficient. 

This was achieved by significantly increasing the thermal envelope of the building and strategically locating windows for solar gain. 

In addition to this, photovoltaic solar panels were installed on the North and West facing sloped roofs.

Story by: Trendsideas