Schist House Wanaka.

"Michael and his team were a big part of this project and the quality shows.”

Standing its ground with unobstructed views across Lake Wanaka, this Schist house settles into the landscape. Its strong simple lines make a real statement in this environment.

To capture the vista, all living, dining and bedrooms have panoramic lake views. The living and dining opens out into an impressive outdoor entertaining area, and the indoor/outdoor retreat room has sliders that retract back into the schist wall to welcome the outdoors inside. Every bedroom has a West elevation that looks across the lake towards Treble Cone and Black Peak.

The clients wanted a lot of stone combined with good thermal performance windows. We recommended triple glazing but along with the client, decided double glazing would be sufficient, given the small glass to wall ratio. The house included over-height joinery which our system is better suited to handle. Windows and doors were positioned to maximise the views. We went with our Pacific Thermal Suite with Planitherm XN Low E Double Glazing. Double Planitherm XN triple glazing was used in the roof skylight.

All spaces are extremely comfortable and warm with easy, open plan living. The clients went with a rustic look, with the outside coming in. There is a continuous internal stone veneer throughout, schist and a combination of materials including blackened steel and American Oak which adds to the extreme charm of this property.

We completed everything as per plan. We worked closely with McCoy Wixon Architects who are renowned and know what they are doing. The house required a lot of structural steel to hold the stone up and massive foundations were laid to bear the weight. The usual precision craftsmanship from Dunlop Builders ensured this house was completed to the highest of standards. The overall finish is impeccable in every regard.

Location - WanakaArchitect/ Designer - McCoy Wixon ArchitectsBuilder - Dunlop Builders LTDFabricator - E13 WindowsSuits/ Products - Pacific Thermal SuiteIndustry Sector - Residential