An old DOC carpark turned award winning, rural family holiday home, “The View House” located in the Otago Region, provides a relaxing atmosphere for families to gather while admiring the beautiful views of the lake and mountains.

Designed by architect Mark John Warren, from MJWarchitecture, careful attention has gone into every aspect, especially planning for a large family to come together and unwind in luxury no matter the weather, and it’s that attention to detail that saw Mark’s design win Rural Home of the Year 2023 at HOME Magazines annual awards ceremony.

The story of the View House begins in 2018 when a farming family from Taihape contacted MJWarchitecture to design a multi-generational holiday home and reunion destination. The most important requirement, however, was that all rooms have a view of Lake Hāwea and the surrounding mountains, where the open spaces could be enjoyed regardless of the weather.

Lake Hāwea is the ninth largest lake in New Zealand and has a marine west coast that is mild with no dry season and warm summer. It has an annual average temperature of 10.5 degrees Celsius, and it gets a lot of rain during the mild winters, which are dominated by mild-latitude cyclones.

With the varying degree in weather, it was important to equip the home with weather-resistant roofing and cladding. That’s where Dimond® Roofing’s profile, LT7® came in, making the clients dream a reality.  LT7® was selected as the profile of choice in the view’s roofing and cladding structure due to its resistance to harsh climatic conditions. The cherry on top, however, was LT7® excellent water shedding characteristics.

This project was able to achieve its goal of being a low-maintenance building with a modern design thanks to the wider purlin and girt spacings LT7® offers. Extreme Roofing oversaw the roofing installation process, and they were also in charge of providing the final capstone.

The end result? An award winning, luxurious holiday home, offering breath-taking views from every room, beautiful birch plywood ceilings, a central courtyard, open plan living spaces, and an exterior that seamlessly flows with beauty of Lake Hāwea.

Project Name: The View

Architect: Mark Warren John, MJWarchitecture

Installers: Remarkable Roofing

Photographer: Simon Larkin

Roofing Profile: LT7