WEST MEETS SOUTH Central Otago meets in this co-pro between American and New Zealand architects. Text Sam Eichblatt Photography Emily Andrews IN SI D E

The home, designed by California’s Architects with Wellington’s Herriot + Melhuish, has views of the Wanaka Basin. The chairs were sourced in Sydney; the side table is by Naoto Fukasawa from Simon James.

HOME New Zealand June/July 2011 25 “We got a call from Marmol and that’s when the penny dropped. It E D was a case of the stars NSI I all suddenly aligning.”

t all started with an article Ashton Kutcher and ). that’s when the penny dropped. in an inflight magazine. The Reading the article about their It was a case of the stars all story was about Marmol work prompted the owner of the suddenly aligning.” Radziner Architects’ property on these pages (which is The American practice restoration of the near Wanaka) to contact Marmol supplied the design concept, photogenic Kaufmann Radziner because he thought their while HMA dealt with specifics House in Palm Springs, sleek modernist aesthetic would on the ground, including finishes, ICalifornia, originally designed by be perfect for the area’s wide-open budget, contractors and materials. in 1946 and – fun landscapes. They also had the unenviable job fact! – was owned for a period by Although no-one realised it of taking the plans through the Barry Manilow, whose treatment at the time, Marmol Radziner had resource consent process. “There of the house was regarded as less a local connection. Former was a bit of fluffing around,” says than exemplary. The - employee Stephanie Hobbs was Max dryly.

based firm, known for its open, on a working holiday at Herriot + The modestly proportioned TOP LEFT David ABOVE A wall of Gibbston expansive Californian modernist Melhuish Architects’ (HMA) three-bedroom house was Trubridge’s ‘Cloud’ light Valley schist runs from the designs, has been responsible for Wellington office and, when originally planned as a hangs in the dining area. deck into the living area. In The bespoke calf-hide the living room, Emma a number of notable restorations design principal Ron Radziner guesthouse for another, larger bar stools and dining Gould from White Interiors of landmark mid-century houses, flew out to see the site, she was property that has since been table are from Davies in Queenstown selected a and also has new residential invited along. “The client didn’t deferred. Even so, rigorous Furniture. TOP RIGHT A bespoke sofa in charcoal bookcase-lined stair wool, a Noguchi coffee projects dotted around the west, realise we already had one of their consent requirements meant its connects the two levels. table, sheer hemp curtains and more recently, the east coasts staff members,” says HMA footprint had to be less than 200 ABOVE The deck and and a custom-made rug by of the United States. (They’ve also director Max Herriot. “In the end, square metres. “We had to fit the pool. RIGHT The home’s Cronz. The hearth seat is overhanging roof form covered in velvet fabric by designed for a roster of celebrity we got a call from Marmol [asking house into an imaginary box on a was inspired by the hill Percheron. clients, including , for assistance on the project], and survey plan, basically,” Max says. that looms behind it.

26 HOME New Zealand June/July 2011 27 “There’s a vast feeling. You can’t help but be

E exposed and there’s D great beauty in that. NSI I You want to become part of the site, not mountains as possible. One enters Gibbston Valley schist — that was stick out from it.” from the side and back of the a no-brainer,” says Max. Peculiar house, and, to quote Ron, “slides to the region, the shimmering At the base of a small along the back wall”. Once inside, light-grey stone is shot with lines mountain, the site overlooks tracts the remarkable view is revealed of quartz. It was used to clad an of farmland around the Wanaka and framed by the strong anchoring wall that runs from the Basin, framed by the fortifications horizontals of the roof and deck. living room to the outdoor area, of alpine peaks. The climate is The house is composed of incorporating fireplaces and harsh: very dry, freezing in winter two blocks, the first a ‘great room’ benches, and acting as a heat- and scorching in summer, containing the kitchen, dining retaining thermal mass. something Ron Radziner says felt area and lounge, which runs out to Inside the house, the local oddly familiar. “I often feel the the decked area and pool through architects fine-tuned the design, same way when I’m working in a bank of full-height sliding doors. installing the 6mm stainless-steel the western United States,” he Along the back, a wall of wood kitchen benchtop, wood panelling says. “That particular hill is open panelling conceals fridges, a that disguises the smaller rooms, and windy, and there’s a vast study, a bathroom and a ladder to as well as joinery, tapware, fittings feeling, much as there is in the a mezzanine area which can and tiles. Another HMA West’s big open spaces. You can’t accommodate extra guests. The innovation is the bookcase built help but be exposed, and there’s home is protected from the into the walls of the short flight of

ABOVE LEFT American great beauty in that. In the big elements by the distinctive, stairs that connects the two levels. white oak veneer in the picture, you want to become part overhanging roof form, “like a big “Rather than just make it a master bedroom. ABOVE of the site, not stick out from it.” upside-down check mark, inspired hallway, we thought we’d RIGHT The house is divided into two blocks His plan for the house was, by the hill,” Ron says. introduce something to let the with a distinctive ‘check in one sense, classic Marmol HMA’s responsibilities owner inhabit it a bit,” says Max. mark’ roof. “We tried to Radziner: a long, thin footprint included hiring local contractors “All you need now are some old be very efficient with the number of forms,” says that allows as many of the rooms and sourcing materials. “The only copies of National Geographic architect Ron Radziner. to take in the views of the stone we wanted to use was the TDBUUFSFEBSPVOEwt

28 June/July 2011 HOME New Zealand