Exceptional design begins the journey to this exquisitely crafted Wanaka home, says Dean Millar of Level Construction.

“Ashley Muir of Mason & Wales Architects is an architectural icon and has designed a home that fits perfectly with the homeowners’ lifestyle and style preferences.”

Situated on an enviable lakeside section, this house sits “fat and low-slung, with expansive floor-to-ceiling glazing taking full advantage of the vista.”

Designed for a semi-retired Southland couple as a holiday home with the potential to become a primary residence, the impressive structure measures in at 430 sqm.

“It was a big project in a number of ways,” says Dean. “True lakefront sites such as these are incredibly rare, so it needed an impressive house to do it justice. Ashley’s design, with its expansive and cantilevered concrete floor and internal courtyard, certainly lived up to expectations.

“In terms of the process, it was a reasonably standard build, with only the typical council regulations of height-to-boundary considerations to take into account. That said, the large cantilever floor was a bit different from the usual, however, the skilled team of builders and tradesmen combined their skills to create what is a beautiful custom home—and we felt honoured to be a part of bringing the homeowners dreams to reality.”

The build took 12 months and Dean describes it as a “joy from start to finish”.

“Despite its size and the intricacy of the cantilever floor, the whole project truly went together easily. There is nothing I would change either, I would leave it the way it is if I was building for myself, everything in there is just right.”

Dean says the standout features for him include aspects such as the indoor/outdoor stone and how the internal courtyard becomes a part of the house.

“The area has a really broad range of housing styles and this house is a great addition to that mix, sitting perfectly—as it does—amongst its surroundings, complemented by careful consideration and detail taken with the finishing, including extensive stonework and landscape planting, completing the overall appeal.

“The finished project speaks for itself.”

Words by Justin Foote
Photography by Larkin Photography