Located on an elevated, terraced section retained by substantial rock walls, Pearl Lane enjoys incredible views of the sparkling waters of Lake Wanaka and the surrounding mountains and glaciers.
Project Name: Pearl Lane
Studio Name: Condon Scott Architects
Location: Wanaka, New Zealand
Photography: Simon Devitt
Designed by Barry Condon of Condon Scott Architects, the four bedroom house is rich in texture and visual warmth, with low-slung roofs and deep eaves enhancing the contemporary exterior form.
The homeowners, an active, outdoors-focused couple who often have children and grandchildren visiting, wanted a home with room to entertain, where they could display their books and art, and, importantly, an internal courtyard where they could enjoy the outdoors without worrying about the prevailing wind from the lake.
“The client wanted a classic, yet modern-style home, so we treated the design as a composition of horizontal and vertical planes, anchored by two heavy schist chimneys,” explains Barry Condon. Using a palette of schist, metals and cedar, with exposed structural steel fascias to add a touch of grit, the house appears in keeping with the alpine and rural landscapes of the area.
The courtyard is a key element of the design, positioned internally and closely connected to the living room, with glazed sliders allowing for a blurring of boundaries between the internal and external spaces. “The sliding slatted timber screens are a unique and special feature of the courtyard. It has an indoor/outdoor feel with the indoor garden and operable screens, and the louvre roof allowing it to become a ‘room’. The screens create beautiful dappled light in this space, also providing privacy from behind the home,” says Barry.
Clerestory windows around the boundaries of the living room allow natural light to filter through into the heart of the home. Hallways link to the master and guest wings, while also providing plenty of space for displaying the home-owners impressive art collection.
The deep colours and textures of the luxurious interior palette and natural exterior materials used throughout Pearl Lane provide a rich backdrop to the sweeping views, with spaces planned to take in as much of the outdoors as possible while still keeping the homeowners warm and snug in winter.
