A landscape for living

With vistas to the Southern Alps, parklands, streams and lakes, this characterful contemporary home from Metzger Builders enjoys a rural setting in Clearwater, just minutes from central Christchurch.

WORDS shelley sweeney PHOTOGRAPHY Sarah Rowlands and Jamie Armstrong

Based on the city’s northern outskirts, Clearwater is best known for its 18-hole championship golf course and as a destination for fly-fishing, tennis, cycling or walking through its many trails.

Talented couple Ali and Mark Metzger have operated their business and built homes in Clearwater for eleven years. “It’s a very special location – a slice of country in the city,” says Mark, director of Metzger Builders, who along with wife Ali, loves the convenience of being situated among extensive grounds without the need to maintain them.

OUTSTANDING OUTDOORS The landscape design by OuterSpace complements the home thanks to thoughtful planting, decorative boulders and hardscaping of the driveway, floating steps and decking.

Their love of the Clearwater lifestyle led Mark and Ali to build this beautiful bespoke property. “The home was always intended to be a show home for our business,” says Mark and adds that the couple loved the result so much they almost wanted to keep it for themselves.

In business for 25 years, Ali and Mark, alongside partner Rick Leftly have secured a reputation in Canterbury for exceeding clients’ expectations and producing homes of excellence with a succession of polished home builds to their name. With a highly skilled team of staff including their clever foreman James Hoogenboezem and trusted subcontractors, delivering homes within budget, timeframe, and most importantly, of high quality, is the essence of Metger Builders’ reputation.

TEXTURAL MATERIALS The clever use of pre-finished melamine boards and high pressure laminate by Fine Line Joinery adds depth to the solid timbers giving a softness and texture, offset by features in glass and brass.

This gracious four-bedroom home boasts three bathrooms, three living rooms and a powder room with several outdoor living areas to suit the weather, including a central courtyard which provides a welcome shelter from the easterly winds.

“It’s an environmentally themed home that brings the outdoors in,” says Mark. “With its view of the land, it feels gracious but has the benefit of being low maintenance as all the open grass reserves at Clearwater are regularly maintained. So, you can own the home without spending weekends in the garden.”

When it came to finding an architect for the property, Mark brought in O’Neil Architecture with the brief of designing a large family home with a focus on high-end materials and views from every elevation. Darren knew how to get the best out of the site, positioning the home for views, and designing a desirable family layout with great indoor-outdoor flow.

OPEN AIR LIVING The Louvretec Opening Roof creates an easy flow for living from inside to out.

“I’ve had a great relationship with Darren for years, and we’ve worked on many projects together. We complement each other very well. It’s a good joint venture, a team effort with a shared vision,” says Mark.

Mark gave Darren complete freedom with the design, then added his own details during the process, influenced by his own experience and inspired by his three years on the judging team for the prestigious Registered Master Builders House of the Year competition.

Metzger Builders took part in the competition for 18 years, achieving top accolades regularly since 2001, with 11 national titles, including the Supreme Winner in 2018. Mark says, “It’s a great pleasure and honour to have been asked to now judge in this amazing event and travel the country to witness some incredible builds. To be able to judge my peers is a real privilege.”

FROM THE TOP The steel roof from The Roofing Store with its clean lines and modern profile fits seamlessly with the modern design of this home.

“We’re always trying new ideas, concepts and products”, says Mark. “This home features the first retractable louvred roof ever to be used in a Christchurch build.” Mark and the team also put extra work into the glass specifications in the home. Low-E glass was used to ensure the house doesn’t overheat in summer or overcool in winter, making it a very comfortable temperature all year round, with or without sunshine.

Ali is part of the Metzger Builders team, and her exceptional interior design talents are offered with every build. Ali’s high-end aesthetic had a strong influence on the choice of materials selected in the home. With this property, Ali favoured a Central Otago look with earthy, textural features of timber and stone, vaulted ceilings and light-filled glass gables.

Plain white walls have been minimised in favour of understated, characterful wooden batons, Glenorchy stone on the double-sided fireplace, luxurious tiling in the kitchen and large format tiles in the bathrooms. Chevron patterned wooden flooring in the living areas was used to add a rustic warmth and texture, along with the modern elegance of bespoke built-in furniture.

“The home has a nice welcoming feel, and that’s down to Ali’s interiors. The furniture fits the house,” says Mark, who is also proud of the work his team put into the cladding and connections in the home with meticulous attention to detail. The house is clad in Glenorchy stone with white pointing, laid sideways with some stones flipped on their face to add a more rustic character to the exterior.

CLEAR STYLE Cutting edge Euroglass Systems from Viridian Glass have been used throughout the home, in the windows and frameless pivot doors from Rylock Windows and Doors as well as the shower screens and balustrades.

“It’s a fully automated low maintenance home that’s ideal for busy families,” says Mark. The separate bedroom wing is designed for privacy. It gives the living spaces room to breathe – an enviable layout for families, allowing for simultaneous rest or entertaining throughout the day or night.

This home is one of Mark’s favourite builds, and he is very proud of the result. “It has street appeal from all elevations. There are views from all rooms. Even the boutique hotel-style guest bedroom, with its baton clad walls, has a view to the central courtyard.”

This exclusive show home had viewings by appointment only, and while the bespoke residence has already been sold, there are plans in the pipeline for similar projects in Clearwater.

For Metzger Builders, a true passion in the industry has led to success, with pride taken in workmanship, attention to detail, excellent customer service and the delivery of top-quality homes. This outstanding bespoke property, with exceptional vistas, is no exception and stands proud among the open spaces of the Clearwater landscape.

FEATHERED FRIEND The Eos goose feather pendant from Accent Lighting has a beautiful mesmerising elegance and is a strong textural feature in this living space.

INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT

BUILDER
Metzger Builders
027 435 9836
mblexcellence.co.nz

WINDOWS AND DOORS
Rylock Windows and Doors
03 373 6040
rylock.co.nz

GLASS AND GLAZING
Euroglass and Viridian Glass
0800 387 645
viridianglass.co.nz

ENGINEER
Pocket Structural Engineers
03 390 1588
pocketeng.co.nz

LANDSCAPING
Outerspace Landscapes
0800 100 750
outerspacelandscapes.co.nz

LOUVRES
Louvretec
03 374 3263
louvretec.co.nz

LIGHTING
Accent Lighting
03 379 0600
accentlighting.co.nz

FLOORING AND TILES
Nextdore
03 366 9400
nextdore.co.nz

JOINERY
Fine Line Joinery
03 377 0122
flj.co.nz

ROOFING
The Roofing Store
03 281 8214
theroofingstore.co.nz

EXTERIOR PLASTER
Resene Construction Systems
0800 50 70 40
reseneconstruction.co.nz