What were you looking to achieve with the design of this house?

Barry Condon (BC): The site is bordered by suburban streets on two sides so we wanted to ensure the home-owners feel secure when they are inside and don’t feel as though they’re on view. We were also trying to create shelter as there is, commonly, a strong, seasonal onshore wind in Wanaka. We created these internal courtyard areas, which means you can retreat back into these spaces and essentially use the body of the house as a visual barrier and a windbreak. 

The form of the house is quite striking. How did you arrive at this design?

BC: It was all about the view and how we could maximise that and train the eye towards it. The form takes a wing shape, which reaches out to the view. The site is a slightly odd wedge shape; we have used this to our advantage by creating a curved edge, which handles that transition into the angled boundary well and also helps to direct the observer’s eye to the view. As you walk into the foyer from the rear face of the house, the space compresses and draws you through into the living room and the view. When you’re in that space, because you have this amazing panorama, you don’t have any awareness of the street or traffic. It was that intention that informed the shape.

How was the material palette chosen?

BC: We wanted clean materiality. We have two types of cedar: the dark cedar that sits under the soffit and the warmer tone above. This creates two strong, clean lines, with the lighter timber refining the roof wing and the dark defining the glazing line that continues around the house. The rough board-formed concrete then contrasts with the timber. We’ve carried materials from the outside to the inside to create consistency. Dark cedar and concrete travel in through the openings into the house, then continue in the interiors and tie the house together.

Condon Scott Architects