Bendemeer Bay House
Initiated in 2016 Jeremy embarked on a the exciting journey of designing a family home which become a labour of love and a chance to explore architectural ideas about what the essence of a house can be in the dramatic Central Otago landscape.
The site had been in his family for over 70 years and when the opportunity arose for it to be sub-divided and developed it was an opportunity not to be missed. The site was 32m from the shore of Lake Hayes and was a triangular plot with a narrow toe nearest to the lake, to complicate matters an existing 70 year old pear tree was on the northern boundary which Jeremy did not have the heart to cut down and instead designed the building around it to have it serve as the centre-piece of the design.
The main architectural ideas were to locate the house as close as possible to the water so that inside the house it would appear as if one was floating over the water. A large covered terrace looks out over the water and provides essential shading and reduces glare from the strong west sun, as well as providing privacy from the public reserve and walking track.
The form of the house was designed so it would sit comfortably in the landscape, being at one with its mountainous setting and providing a strong alpine form reminiscent of mountain traditional houses but expressed in a contemporary way. This was fundamentally important as we wanted it to feel like it had always been here and it expressed a sense of 'homeliness'. The design needed to be intriguingly modern but still strangely familiar. Our builder once described it as 'two five sided forms stepping up the site on different angles' this eloquently captures the intrigue of the house as from one corner it appears like a gable form and from the other a monoslope meeting at the corner. A kind of visual puzzle that gets people guessing as they walk along the public track. Like an architectural expression of an Escher drawing!
The other main consideration for the house was environmental. Using Passivhaus principles around increased insulation, the house was designed to require minimal heating and no cooling. The super insulated walls and roof were constructed in a factory as a SIP's system and constructed on site in less than two weeks. Triple glazed timber high performance windows were imported from Switzerland, along with spruce timber ceilings throughout the house.
The striking five sided form in its garden and lakeside setting.
Bold architectural statement of a mountain form.
The house centred around the 70 year old pear tree.
Sunset looking out over the lake. The timber colonnade helps to frame the views and provide essential shading and glare reduction.
Soft Scandinavian interior combining the white walls and the warmth of the timber ceilings, floors and windows.