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Location : Arthurs Point

Builder: D & M Builders Queenstown

Photographer: C Norman

 

Upon returning to Wanaka from working in London, we were asked to provide Design Development, Contract Documentation and Contract Observation for the Shotover house for fellow Kiwi Architect Brent Alexander who was still working in London for Foster and Partners and had some London based clients who were looking to relocate to Queenstown.

 

The very steep site provided stunning mountain and river gorge views but presented construction challenges particularly as it was an unstable site with lots of groundwater issues and subsidence.  Access to the site was also limited to the bottom of the site.

 

A pragmatic but dynamic response resulted in two narrow linear forms running along with the contours of the steep hillside with a oamaru stone box cut into and anchoring the house to the site with an upper lightweight glass box placed at a shifting angle over and cantilevering over the stone base. The eastern façade of the upper box is virtually 100% glazed allowing expansive views of the Shotover River, Queenstown Hill, Mount Dewar, Coronet Peak and the Crown Terraces. A Brise-Soleil creates a strong horizontal form while providing sun shading to the glazed eastern and northern facades.

 

The desire for a clean minimal internal fitout with high percentage of glass and cantilevered Brise-Soleil, along with the large cantilever floor structure, demanded clever structural solutions from engineer Hamish Nevile. 

 

High-level clerestory windows to bedrooms and bathrooms of the Western façade allow uninterrupted views to the rugged ranges extending beyond Ben Lomond.

 

Stripped back interiors provided a backdrop for the client’s art deco furniture and the feature stonework of the fireplace. Polished concrete floors adjoining the full height commercial glazing allow for the solar gain to heat the thermal mass. This topping slab is fully insulated and supplemented by hydronic underfloor heating. 

 

Other design features that required careful attention to detail were frameless glass balustrades adjoining an infinity edged water feature over the top of the ground floor level studio bedroom and a steep turf / green roof over the garage building below.  Both the water feature and turf roof conceal the buildings below provide a seamless transition between the house and the Shotover River Gorge below.

 

12 years after the original owners completed the project, new owners engaged us to provide design solutions to transform the home from a dwelling for two adults into a holiday home for a young family.

Chaney & Norman Architects
Otago
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Shotover River House
Shotover River House
Shotover River House
Shotover River House
Shotover River House
Shotover River House
Shotover River House
Shotover River House

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Shotover River House

About the
Professional

At Chaney & Norman Architects,  great design and sustainability are at the heart of everything we do. By creating homes that are energy efficient with a high level of thermal performance, we deliver warm, healthy and comfortable homes that our clients love to live in.

Every client is unique, so good communication and well thought-out processes,  alongside high quality design, ensure that we create a home that best suits you and your lifestyle.  Each home is shaped in response to the local environment and to maximise the potential of the site and design brief.

We believe the journey through every project should be collaborative and fun. As a small but mighty practice, we are friendly and approachable, and we aim to make the creation of your home as enjoyable for you as it is for us.

We provide complete concept design, documentation, contract and site observation services for your project.

Our approach is nimble and flexible, responding to the individual needs of each client and project. We search for creative solutions to challenges by blending tried-and-tested methods with new technologies to achieve the best possible results for our clients and the environment.

Beth Chaney and Chris Norman formed a creative partnership in 2018, binging together a wealth of design experience and a mutual passion for sustainable, high performing homes.

The team works collaboratively, drawing on their collective experience to inform their designs. Previously known as Chris Norman Architecture, Chaney & Norman Architects has been helping clients realise their dream homes since 2009.