Often when you miss out on buying a home, something better comes along. That was certainly the case for a Queenstown artist.
She had put an offer in on a house in the lakeside town and, although it was not successful, she was inspired by the industrial look of the design. So rather than buy, she decided to redevelop a property she already owned on the waterfront.
The first step was to engage architect Thom Ibbotson from Yoke Architecture, who had worked on the house she coveted but missed out on. She asked Ibbotson to transform a site overgrown with ivy.
Once the local butcher’s shop, the owner was using the space – including the two 1970s add-on studios above the shop – as an art gallery and artists’ studio. She was keen to retain some of the original character of the shop but also eager to incorporate concrete masonry blocks, raw steel and glass to create the industrial aesthetic she sought.
She wanted an art gallery, an art studio and two two-bedroom apartments, and to take full advantage of the sun to the north, which is at the back end of the property.
“The client has a bold style and personality and she was looking to express the raw materials through the project,” says Ibbotson.
The process began in 2017, with the local council pushing back on the original concept of three separate structures on one site, due to the existing district plan. Ibbotson went back to the drawing board and combined the main residence with the studio. Further obstacles came with Covid and issues around sourcing and freighting building materials, and it was four years before the project was complete.
Ivy Box, as it has become known, was shortlisted in 2024 Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects Housing – Alterations and Additions category and took out HOME Magazine’s Multi-Unit Home of the Year 2023.
The HOME judges described the finished project as a striking addition to the Queenstown lakefront.
“Combining two houses along with an art gallery and art studio, the architect has thought very carefully about the relationship between these three entities…The front door is a joy to arrive at — the significant touch point reflecting the deeply considered hand behind the design, while internally, carefully selected materials are arranged to create a wonderfully serene and atmospheric experience.”
To resolve the challenge of the slope of the land, Ibbotson stepped the multi-faceted project up the hill. He retained the original schist walls on the site, and designed the floor plan so that living areas and courtyards at the back of the apartments make the most of the sun at certain times of the day. The bedrooms at the front have views of the lake, as does the artists’ studio.
Concrete blocks predominate the exterior, on the south and north sides. This proved to be aesthetically and structurally cost-effective – and requires very little maintenance. However, the Corten steel, used on the front and back façades, will need recoating now and then.
“Rather than let the steel weather off, a sealant keeps its natural black and blue elements and softens the patina to give it character and texture as it weathers slowly,” says the architect.
The monochromatic palette continues inside, as does the use of steel. Yoke designed most of the interior elements, including the kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, storage and fittings.
Each apartment kitchen has a stainless steel island block, and raw steel is also a feature around the fireplaces. The two apartments are almost identical, differentiated only by slightly different tiles in the bathrooms. One uses black and the other light grey.
“For such a small change, the apartments came up completely differently,” Ibbotson says.
Lightly rendered plasterboard walls are offset with dark-stained American white oak veneer, which adds texture and softness, says Ibbotson. Artworks on display throughout the apartments add colour and vibrancy. Different soft furnishings reinforce the monochromatic palette and add texture.
The owner’s apartment uses silvery mesh drapes, whereas they are bronze in the other apartment, which was originally designed for the owner’s daughter, but since she has moved out, has proved ideal for an artist’s residence, and at times an AirBnB.
Even the locals are happy with the contemporary reimagination of the site, despite their initial concerns that the project would not be mindful of the environs or its heritage. To retain the character of the original schist walls, an internal structure had to be put in place so they would not collapse in the event of an earthquake.
“People often stop by and have a look to see how we retained the façade of the building,” says Ibbotson. “We even saved the ivy.”
PROJECT TEAM