Wānaka S.K.I House by Roberts Gray Architects

Wānaka S.K.I House by Roberts Gray Architects is a holiday home for a multigenerational family in the Otago region of New Zealand’s South Island.

Fuelled by the clients’ long-standing affinity for this locality and an aspiration for a place embedded in longevity and contextual relevance, Wānaka S.K.I House conveys a sense of belonging and ingenuity. Over the past two decades, the clients have witnessed the ongoing densification and evolution of Wānaka from a quaint holiday town to a bustling and increasingly urban area. Their previous home no longer made sense of the site and its changing context; however, their emotional connection was resolute. As such, they engaged Roberts Gray Architects to conceive a new dwelling that would facilitate another era of family holidays in this much-loved place.

Fuelled by the clients’ long-standing affinity for this locality and an aspiration for a place embedded in longevity and contextual relevance, Wānaka S.K.I House conveys a sense of belonging and ingenuity.

With views to the Buchanan Peaks and Lake Wānaka, the surrounding topography is not only integral to the experience of this site but also to the region. “Wānaka is very much about life outdoors,” says architect Jimmy Gray, who shares the clients’ personal connection to the area, having holidayed there for many years. “You spend time on the lake, go water-skiing and fishing, and winter is very much oriented around the snow.” Yet despite these conditions, the site, which is located on the edge of Wānaka Town Centre and set among varying degrees of residential scale, is distinctly urban.

This dichotomy heavily informed Roberts Gray Architects’ pursuit for a residence that embraced its formidable aspect while also acting as a retreat from the nearby township and surrounding domestic condition – an outcome similarly driven by the area’s extreme climate. “In winter, an inversion layer is common and it’s sub-zero at night, whereas in summer, it’s 30-plus [degrees] with a prevailing north-westerly that blows up the lake, making it difficult to live outside at that time of year,” says Gray.

“The solid forms – lounges, bedrooms and bathrooms – become static zones and places to escape to.”

In response to these contrasts and nuances, the architects designed the home as a series of solid forms and free-flowing outdoor spaces encased in a lightweight screen. The street elevation is intentionally linear and abstract, immediately inciting curiosity. A brick wall running partially across the site is a deliberate gesture signalling the shift from public to private space and, behind it, the screen stretches from east to west, sheathing the home and providing privacy. Crossing the threshold through a covert opening in the screen, the home gradually unfolds beyond an outdoor courtyard and terrace. “It’s theatrical and staged. It really draws you in, and from there, the building starts to unravel itself and open up.”

Aside from a two-storey masonry edifice at the front containing the main bedroom and a second living room – a private retreat for the clients that takes advantage of the views – the home is on one level. Guest bedrooms with individual courtyards sit to the west, and there is an open-plan kitchen, dining and living area facing a lawned area at the rear. “The solid forms – lounges, bedrooms and bathrooms – become static zones and places to escape to, and the lightweight forms that link these spaces, like corridors and courtyards, are more transitional.” This ensemble of voids, masses and apertures achieves many things: not only does it direct the experience and intentionally frame the site’s most agreeable aspects, but it creates a diversity of spaces to move through across the seasons.

With views to the Buchanan Peaks and Lake Wānaka, the surrounding topography is not only integral to the experience of this site but also to the region.

For clients who love cooking, the kitchen has been designed to work hard; it offers a high level of amenity yet ultimately feels informal and welcoming. Each element has been considered as part of the architecture, namely the Fisher & Paykel Column Refrigerator and Freezer, which are both integrated into custom oak cabinetry, creating valuable visual continuity and calm. “Everything retreats beautifully and seamlessly.” Conversely, the Fisher & Paykel oven and cooktop are focal points. “The refined nature of the products allows us to hero them within the design of the kitchen.” Sleek in appearance, they complement the quiet and tactile timber-led space without deterring in any way from the design.

Additionally, the layout – which is anchored by a sculptural island bench and oriented towards the views – is straightforward but effective. “Our clients didn’t want to hide away in a scullery. They’re social and they wanted it to be part of the house, so we designed the kitchen to be compact and centred around the large island bench.”

Each element has been considered as part of the architecture, namely the Fisher & Paykel Column Refrigerator and Freezer, which are both integrated into custom oak cabinetry, creating valuable visual continuity and calm.

Clad in Silver River marble – brushed on the vertical face and smooth on top – it brings gravitas to the subdued palette of the considered space. Gray describes its rich veining as reminiscent of the rivers and mountains that give the South Island its incomparable identity.

The kitchen’s proximity to the dining and lounge areas facilitates a certain casualness fitting for a family holiday home and, during the summer months, the internal experience extends outwards to the terrace and grassy expanse at the rear, drinking in the views to the north. On the terrace, a DCS Grill paves the way for effortless outdoor cooking and dining, and the screen provides necessary shelter from the wind.

“It’s theatrical and staged. It really draws you in, and from there, the building starts to unravel itself and open up.”

This backyard, which was inspired by the layout of the clients’ previous home, speaks to their love of Wānaka and, more specifically, this exact site. “We resisted the urge to build up with a balcony because there’s this great connection to the lawn where kids can spill out and play cricket. It also maintains the neighbourly connection; you can’t sense this from the front elevation, but there’s this ease of meandering between the houses or going next door to borrow milk or drop in for a coffee. It’s a true open-door policy and that’s the way it’s always been.”

Architecture and interior design by Roberts Gray Architects. Build by Level Construction. Landscape design by Jared Lockhart Design. Engineering by Constructure. Joinery by Wānaka Cabinetree. Lighting design by iLight. Brickwork by Wānaka Brick & Block. Appliances by Fisher & Paykel.