Located within Kelvin Heights, in Queenstown, the site has prominent North-Western views back over the lake toward the city, and elevated peaks beyond. The clients were seeking a four-bedroom holiday home, with an internal double garage for secure car and boat storage while unoccupied, maximized lake views, strong indoor and outdoor flow with protection from prevailing winds, and a strong sense of arrival.
On approach the house masks its interior from the street, ensuring privacy is maintained for the occupants with minimal glazing extents. Integrated landscaping and lighting have been incorporated below these faces to ensure they are further expressed and accentuated at night. As the user approaches the house an integrated timber-clad door and wrapping cedar soffit offering a strong and impactful sense of arrival into the space.
Building placement and orientation is situated to provide ample outlook and outdoor living on the North-Western aspects of the site, while also allowing protection from the prevailing Westerly winds.
The configuring of the building volumes offers a nook that creates a recessed external courtyard space that is closely connected to the internal Dining and Kitchen spaces for convenient use and protection for the prevailing Westerly winds. Beyond this, decking and external landscaping continue outward and allow maximized use of the site on this Western aspect for uninterrupted views outward over the lake.