A refined take on the shed

Sited in the foothills of The Remarkables, the house is detailed like a refined rural shed. Photos: Simon Devitt

Four years since the publication of Cape to Bluff, the author-photographer duo of Andrea Stevens and Simon Devitt have compiled volume two, exploring 30 new houses that respond to the land. This extract focuses on a home in the Wakatipu Basin.

"Farm House", Central Otago

Architecture by Anna-Marie Chin Architects

Construction by RBJ

Structural design by Lewis Bradford

Overlooking Lake Hayes and The Remarkables, this family home is a refined take on the rural shed: open to its environment yet protected from southerly blasts.

With a fireplace at its centre, the living room opens both north and south to capture every mood. Painting by Delicia Sampero.

"We wanted to keep the rural character," explains architect Anna-Marie Chin.

"A feeling that the house is simply sitting in a paddock, but with a design that was more abstract, more considered.

"Proportions and materials are really simple, as you see in classic sheds and barns."

Starting with an oversized corrugated metal profile, the exterior is then layered with softer domestic details.

The main roof forms a lid or tent-like structure, below which are sliding timber screens, cedar cladding and large glazed openings.

The walls are framed by timber verticals reminiscent of traditional shed construction. Inside, the roof is carved out to create height and volume.

A feature of the living space is a beautifully crafted steel bookcase for displaying favourite objects.

Openings capture views near and far, immersing the buildings into their surroundings and framing the wider mountain landscape.

The roof extends beyond the wall line to form sheltered verandas, with paddocks running right up to the terrace.

"The really important idea in this house is that it captures those south-facing views while buttressing itself from the cold lake winds.

"Then it had to open to bring in the northern sun and maintain a very simple and direct connection with the land," says Anna-Marie.

Large gallery windows make the shifting weather part of the interior experience, capturing different moods so you feel the power of the alpine climate.

A deep sill at the window forms both a seat and a display surface, drawing the eye and inviting reflection. Elsewhere, cedar wall linings and open fires offer softness and warmth to contrast with the robust metal exterior.

Rolling paddocks run right up to the house, keeping the feeling of a practical rural site.

Designed as a permanent family home, the house offers a warm, enveloping living space for younger children, as well as a separate apartment for older children coming to stay.

It is a relaxed, art-filled environment that offers multiple spaces for all ages, including a piano room.

The family enjoy the outdoors and the garage provides ample space for cycling and paddleboarding gear, with racks and cubbyholes inside, as well as a large wood store outside.

Providing opportunity for both separation and togetherness, the architecture is an elegant, measured response to a rural site that frames (but doesn’t dominate) family life.