Wanaka Pavilion House 

Wānaka Pavilion House is located at the foot of Mount Barker on a family property held across two generations. The brief was to create a long-term home capable of accommodating large family gatherings, while also being able to scale back and function comfortably for two. With a lifestyle deeply connected to the outdoors, the clients sought a house that was restrained rather than ostentatious one that engaged closely with the wider landscape and maintained a strong sense of connection as they moved through the home.

The house is simple and honest in its approach to siting and planning. It is arranged as three distinct pavilions: a living pavilion, a guest pavilion, and a private master suite. These elements are organised around a central courtyard, which anchors the house and provides both orientation and shelter. Large over-cladding sliders connect the kitchen and dining spaces directly to the courtyard, allowing it to operate as an extension of daily living.

Each pavilion is carefully oriented to the surrounding landscape and mountain views. The material palette draws from the rural context, with a quiet, dark exterior that allows the house to recede into its setting, acting as a backdrop to the surrounding landscape and planting.

At its core, Wānaka Pavilion House is about living in close relationship with nature. The architecture prioritises the landscape in which it sits, offering a way of inhabiting the site that feels embedded within its environment rather than imposed upon it.