When an architect and client come together for a second time, there’s already a shared language, an unspoken trust that allows ideas to deepen and evolve. For this Wānaka retreat, that relationship was already well-forged. Having designed a beautiful family home for the couple years earlier, Johnston Architects’ director Regan Johnston understood not just how they lived, but what they valued: craftsmanship, material honesty and a connection to the landscape.
But this time the brief was different. With their children grown and their days increasingly drawn south, the clients were looking to create a place to linger, a home that would gradually become their base.
As business owners in the construction industry, their professional world is one of precision, a quality that finds clear expression in the architecture of their new abode. Their background also had a direct influence on the shape of the home, which pushes the limit in design and materials, taking in floor-to-ceiling glazing in the largest pane sizes available.
High-performance and comfort were also key drivers of the design, shares Regan.
“It's got in-ground heat pumps, a warm roof system (where the insulation sits outside of the building fabric to keep everything as warm as possible), it’s triple-glazed, thermally broken, and has heated slabs. It's just a beautifully comfortable home to live in.”
The home’s form takes shape as a broad U, a gesture that gathers the generous site and draws the landscape inward to a protected courtyard. At one end, an indoor pool anchors the plan; at the other, the garaging forms a quiet counterbalance. Between them, the bedrooms and living spaces trace the base of the U, opening generously to the outdoors. It is a layout Johnston Architects has explored before with the clients, a format where the master suite is distinctly separate, offering privacy and the ability to close down parts of the home when it is just the couple, while the family wing remains ready for visiting children and guests.
A series of sheltered outdoor spaces created by wide, cantilevered eaves has been woven into the plan, ensuring there is always a place to sit in the sun or retreat from the wind. Large sliding doors dissolve the line between inside and out, framing the serene outlook and creating that easy indoor-outdoor rhythm so intrinsic to Wānaka living. From the loggia and outdoor fire to the barbecue terrace off the kitchen, each space has been considered, shares Regan.
“You can move from the living spaces out to the terraces to enjoy the midday sun; you can go onto another terrace to have your morning coffee, then there are spots in the evening that are sunny and warm.”
Another special feature of the home is its indoor pool, a glass-encased space that allows for swimming year-round. Entirely enclosed in high-performance glazing, the pool room doesn’t get a hint of condensation, despite the naturally humid environment. And when the large panels slide open, the space transforms completely, merging with the surrounding terraces in the warmer months.
Externally, the home is grounded in the landscape through a rich and tactile palette. Local schist anchors the form, giving it a sense of permanence in the alpine setting. In contrast, random-width cedar cladding brings warmth and rhythm, its varied profiles catching the light throughout the day.
Inside, that same language continues, creating a seamless transition between exterior and interior. The dark-toned cedar reappears as wall linings, concealing storage in the corridors through seamlessly clad doors. The interior palette, developed in collaboration with the owners and Jane from Bespoke Interiors, layers these deep timbers with soft stone tones for a cohesive, moody atmosphere. A large-format floor tile runs consistently from indoors to out, finished differently to suit each space, yet maintaining a visual continuity that extends the home’s sense of flow and calm.
For architect Regan Johnston, it is these crafted moments that stand out most. He recalls the intricate detailing that went into concealing doors and storage within the cedar-lined corridors, where entire panels open with a light touch. “Those hidden elements are some of my favourite parts of the project,” he says. “They speak to the level of precision and collaboration that went into the build.”
Regan reflects on another of the home’s unique features, saying, “We loved the opportunity to design a glass-fronted 'vehicle gallery', much like the incorporation of art or sculpture in other projects, it’s always special when we can help our clients display their favourite objects”.
Usually, a home like this would be considered a couple’s forever home, somewhere to enjoy well into retirement with space for visiting kids and plenty of room to relax. But Regan is not entirely sure that is the case here.
“We would typically call this the forever home, but I’ll have to have another chat with them,” he says with a grin. “I’m sure they would like to build again.”
Explore more projects from Johnston Architects
Located on a large rural site in Wanaka, this four bedroom home is organized around a central courtyard, which creates sheltered year-round outdoor living spaces. Large sliding glass doors help blur the boundary between indoors and outdoors, extending living areas into the courtyard, decks and beyond, reinforcing the home’s connection to the landscape.
Texture and natural materials are central to the design throughout. The external envelope combines local schist, dark timber cladding, and crisp steel detailing to create a tactile richness while maintaining a clean, timeless aesthetic. Inside, this theme continues with random profile cedar wall linings and exposed stone walls which anchor the floating roof planes to the ground, while extensive glass maximizes views and natural light.
Unique features include the ‘gallery style’ garage, which puts our client’s favourite vehicles on display through full height glazing, and the indoor swimming pool pavilion, enclosed by a triple glazed thermally broken glass and steel roof structure. This space offers year-round usability (without condensation) and maintains connection to the outdoors through the enclosures uninterrupted transparency.
