A Trio.

Designed with architect, Martin Hofman, this home was built for semi-retirement in a place the owners had always holidayed, Lake Hayes. Together with David Reid Homes, a series of three pavilions stretches across 48 metres along the section. The gabled forms are like a mini miner's village that key into the vernacular architecture of the Central Otago region.

Clad in dark-stained cedar teamed with a steel-tray roofing in a charcoal tone makes for a low-key presence that melds with the drama of the bare hills. Although the section had the right orientation and a million-dollar aspect, there were challenges to be overcome. Being fairly narrow and steep, it took time to establish a stable platform that the engineers were happy with. Our David Reid Homes Queenstown team guided the home owners through this process and in turn they gained more flat ground for outdoor living.

This is a dwelling that opens its arms to the elements yet also has an internal focus that makes it homely in an instant. The main living pavilion and master suite are set at right angles to the lake and between them is sandwiched a bedroom pavilion that lies parallel to the water. Raked ceilings echo the faraway peaks and bring incredible volume to the spaces. To the north, glazed fronts usher in the gasp of view while to the south, clerestory windows look up to the sharp rise of Morven Hill.

Come summer or winter, there's always a space to engage with, whether that's plunging into the spa pool to send Jack Frost packing or gathering in the shelter of the sunken fire pit for the chance to throw meat or marshmallows over the coals. All in all the home owners can only praise the seamlessness and synergy of the end-to-end process, and love the function of their home.