Location: Omarama, New Zealand.

Architect: Architecture Workshop Ltd.

The challenge of building in New Zealand’s beautiful landscapes is addressed in the design of a luxury lodge in a remote glacial valley in the Southern Alps. The architecture draws inspiration from the surrounding glacial landscape and aims to bind the building with the land, making it an attribute of the site. The visitor experience is designed to protect and envelop the solitary human figure within the physical vastness of the landscape. The lodge is designed to be sustainable, with a hydronic underfloor heating system, geothermal heat pump system, and efficient LPG gas condensing boilers. Potable water is filtered from the on-site bore and rainwater harvesting system, and black and grey water systems discharge to the biodegradable on-site sewage treatment plant. The large overhanging roof incorporates an airtight membrane within the layer of insulation, and heat recovery ventilators provide fresh air and extract air ventilation. The construction of the complex gridshell roof was achieved through a close collaboration between architect and structural engineer, resulting in a cost-effective on-site assembly of the Spotted Gum hardwood lamella.

Photo credit: Patrick Reynolds Photography.