Twin Peaks Ohakune

This project started with one of those challenging sections that nobody dares to take on… The small (378 m²) hill site falls 6.5m over roughly 20 meters. To take full advantage of the site, views and to reduce earthworks to a minimum, the design follows the landscape. 7 different floor levels are staggered up the hill. All levels are connected by (short) sets of stairs. Through this design the house offers different views on every level and to all sides. From a rural outlook to a view of Mount Ruapehu. This is a holiday home that will keep you fit. The two slices of this building have roofs that go opposite ways. One segment houses the living, dining, kitchen and garage (underneath), the other has bedrooms and bathrooms. The main stairs cut through the middle of the segments. Exterior cladding is a combination of a trapezoidal metal and horizontal larch weatherboard. The metal has a soft green hue that represents the colours of wilderness/nature and goes well with the orange tinted timber. We have used protruding vertical battens over a background of horizontal timber weatherboards, to emphasize the height and shape of the house and added a white trim around the facade to bring more depth into the design. Energy efficiency and comfortable living were high on the agenda when detailing the exterior shell. This house is the designers response to proposed new insulation requirements, but does exceed the regulations in interior comfort. With special detailing around rebated, thermally broken aluminium joinery, hand built oversized timber framing with removal of thermal bridging and usage of vapour barriers on the full inside of the house. The house relies on its orientation and exterior insulation shield to store the heat. A woodfire has been added for ambience and as a backup for power outage only. A combination of passive ventilation, for when the house is not occupied, and mechanical ventilation activated by a humidity sensor, will keep the house free of moisture.

photo credit: Glyn Hubbard Photography