Fastidiously built, this home by DCD Ltd is an award-winning example of how a home can be a sustainable masterpiece and an outstanding beauty.

WORDS Kathy Catton PHOTOGRAPHY Studio Jubb

Te Toka (The Rock) is a home that will be around for many, many years. Solid and remote, built on schist foundations, this home is clad in stone excavated directly from the building site. Its fortress-thick insulated concrete form walls are impregnable to outside influences, whatever life throws at it. The cladding, retaining walls and road leading to the home are all made from rock quarried from the site.

Of utmost importance to the homeowners of this 820 square metre, five-bedroom masterpiece was the need for a quiet, off-grid, thermally efficient home, exempt from allergens and able to cocoon the family in a place of space and privacy. “We looked up and down the whole country before finding this piece of land,” says the homeowner. “The whole place is intriguing: from its spectacular views to its awe-inspiring, off-grid home.”

GRAND ASPECT The floor to ceiling glazed doors from E13 Performance Windows frame the outdoor room and give way to the outstanding views beyond the home.

What’s been created is a home that fully meets its brief, solidly anchored on the banks of Lake Wakatipu, strong and earthquake resistant. The epitome of self-sufficiency, the use of stone from the land to form the home itself, brings a full-circle uniqueness to this abode.

And despite the masculine solidity, the home at its heart is a peaceful lakeside sanctuary, wanting nothing more than to simply be in its beautiful Jacks Point setting. It is nestled into its site, limiting the views of the house from neighbouring properties but maximising the views of the lake and the mountains beyond.

This build showcases the unique and industry-leading capabilities of DCD Ltd to deliver to the highest standard of quality and craftsmanship without compromising any aspect of home performance. Not taking the path of a traditional builder, DCD, with its own on-site building team, operates as a central hub engaging all parties involved in the project, from consultants to sub-trades, from the concept to completion.

“Every build we embark on is bespoke,” says Dennis Dowling, founder and managing director at DCD. “Our clients appreciate not only the quality of their new home but also the value of our care, craft and commitment throughout the entire process and the fact that our solutions cater solely to each property owner.”

Predominantly focusing on Queenstown-based projects, DCD only builds thermally efficient homes. The team uses Passive House methodology, which includes software modelling to see how homes will perform post-construction. Dennis builds ethical, collaborative relationships with all project parties. “We create what I call ‘low-ego’ teams,” says Dennis. “That means we work synergistically to ensure the design, performance and budget are all equally well regarded.”

THE RIGHT LIGHT The skylights from EBSA have been positioned to make the most of every zone in this exquisite open plan space.SMOOTH FINISH The white kitchen joinery from Nasko Factory creates an airy feel in the open plan area. — THE RIGHT LIGHT The skylights from EBSA have been positioned to make the most of every zone in this exquisite open plan space.
SMOOTH FINISH The white kitchen joinery from Nasko Factory creates an airy feel in the open plan area.

The homeowners agree with this ethos, stating, “We really enjoyed working with Dennis and his team. I’m a fairly critical guy, but I was delighted with Dennis’ creative vision and the good rapport we had going backwards and forwards.” With the clients based part-time in the United States, communication was certainly not hindered by the distance. “Dennis has a high level of integrity, and this is incredibly important to me,” says the homeowner.

Te Toka is the largest Insulated Concrete Formwork (ICF) house constructed in the southern hemisphere. From the outside, you don’t see the Nudura concrete due to its schist cladding, but it is integral to making this home work. Varying from 150 mm to 250 mm thick, the 4.6 metre high walls and beams form the airtight barrier and the thermally insulated envelope for the building.

FLAT FEATURE The sides of the flat roof have been cladded with cedar to complement the stone exterior. The roof membrane was installed by Watertight Systems.

Stone cladding on the exterior walls was always part of the design brief, however, “The use of rock from the site happened by chance,” explains Dennis. “The Geotech report did not tell us this site was founded on solid rock, so we worked hard to nestle the home into the hillside and used the excavated rock to build.” The sustainable and beautiful result speaks for itself.

The nearly two-metre deep skylights are another indication of the astonishing roof thickness, which required an award-winning engineering feat to crane the innovative timber modules into place.

“The roof won an NZ Wood award in 2020 for its innovative solution for a complex roof design that was originally proposed to be constructed in concrete,” says Dennis. As one of the awards judges commented, “The composite panels were shaped to provide hips, valleys and crossfalls necessary to form the roof profile. The prefabricated panels were craned into place and a membrane warm roof system applied directly to the top surface of the cassettes.”

Extensive work was undertaken to achieve the brief of making the home self-sufficient given the large 820 square metre footprint. Dennis and his team worked with Rafe Maclean Architects in Wa¯naka, who also performed the thermal modelling, and multiple engineers who devised the tiered system of energy and water supply.

“The tiered system means energy comes firstly from the solar panels, then the battery, with a grid link and back-up generator if required,” says Dennis. “Likewise for the water supply, which first comes from a bore and is stored in water tanks. We also have the facility to obtain water from the Jacks Point supply, and if required, we can pump and treat water from the local wetlands.” In so doing, the home can function off-grid and be self-sufficient for six months or more, even in winter.

Not only the external structure but also the internal details make this home perfectly proportioned and a feat of outstanding craftsmanship. For instance, the high performance, triple-glazed Döpfner windows from Ecowindows provide an ideal barrier to noise, and temperature extremes, and the textured aluminium powder coating matches perfectly with the other exterior features of the home.

The Abodo cladding used in the build is the first verified carbon-negative feature timber, meaning it stores carbon rather than emitting it during its manufacture. Each square metre of Vulcan cladding stores 9.74 kilograms of carbon.

With four sizeable super king bedroom suites – each housing an ensuite bathroom and walk-in wardrobe – no expense or detail has been spared in ensuring every suite feels as luxurious as the other. Beyond the four-bedroom suites, there is an additional self-contained unit that is perfect for a housekeeper or small family.

UNDERSTATED LUXURY The white cabinetry fitted by Nasko Factory complements the oval stone bath and luxurious tiling.

The interiors by Sue Nauman, textures and final execution of the build complete this stunningly beautiful home.

One of the many examples of DCD’s attention to detail and innovation in this build is evident in the external sunscreens; at the time of building the sunscreens, there was no mechanism available on the market to hold them in place, so Dennis worked with an engineer to create a brake lever that could hold the 200-kilogram screen.

A private gym, meditation garden, media room and spa pool are just some of the details that embrace the grandeur and simplicity of this home.

This home will still stand when our grandchildren and great grandchildren are old and wise

Without a doubt, this home takes full advantage of Passive House principles and is well-deserving of its seven awards at July’s Registered Master Builders’ Awards, including Regional Supreme Winner 2021 (over $ 2million) and Regional Craftsmanship Award 2021.

“This home was eligible for ten awards, and we took home seven,” smiles Dennis. “It’s a testament to our phenomenal desire to build with craftsmanship, quality and sustainability front of mind.”

“On a personal note, we spent an enormous amount of time on the details of this build,” says Dennis. “We were almost obsessive about the detail, and that’s meant the performance of the home, the execution of the build and the finish of the home is truly outstanding.”

Fixtures and fittings may not last forever, however, this home will still stand when our grandchildren and great grandchildren are old and wise. This sustainable eco-gem with its spacious rooms and magnificent lakefront location is nothing short of perfect.