Master Builder House Of The Year 2020

This home, set high on a rocky hillside with 180-degree views of Lake Dunstan and the Pisa Range, was built to the highest standards. It was also given a simple form to allow the special, rugged location to speak for itself.

Care was taken to interpret the owners’ wishes and the project continued to evolve as the building took shape. Materials and colours were carefully selected to echo the landscape. Local schist details help the three-bedroom three-bathroom home to blend into the hillside. A clever decking walkway joins an existing stone cottage to the main residence, further settling the home into its surroundings. The walkway also creates a point of interest – the perfectly finished timber is juxtaposed against the rocky terrain below.

A pitched ceiling lends a real sense of space to living areas and bespoke joinery frames the picture-perfect Central Otago views. The goal was to create a very special home that never detracts from or overwhelms its beautiful location. This family-friendly 400sqm home achieves this and more.