A holiday home in Twizel constructed by Dimension Building and designed by Detail Consultancy was a chance to relive the past and create some new memories.

WORDS Kathy Catton PHOTOGRAPHY Cam McBride

The story of this house is not so much about the bending of time, but more about planning for the future by being inspired by the past.

Homeowner Simon had holidayed in Twizel since the late 1980s with his family. He remembers learning to ski there, exploring the nearby lakes and hunting in the local riverbeds and ranges.

“My parents still have one of the original hydro houses here,” says Simon. These hydro houses were built in the town’s glory days. Created from scratch by the government in the late 1960s in response to the Upper Waitaki hydroelectric scheme, 550 houses were built and 24km of streets were laid, according to Te Ara.

“The old house is the standard 76sqm Ministry of Works house. It was repainted and recarpeted over the years, but still has the original kitchen cupboards and matching decor,” says Simon.

With a family of his own, Simon continued to love the town as a great place to holiday. “When our kids were small, we would take them to Twizel each year,” he says. “It’s where they, too, learnt to ski.”

But the family were outgrowing the three-bedroom hydro house when they visited, so they decided to build their own Twizel bach. Affectionately named “Twizel 2.0” by the family, Simon and his wife Gieve knew this home would stay in the family for many generations to come.

“We wanted a holiday home that could handle multiple families, while also maintaining some level of personal space, when needed,” outlines Simon. “We also liked the idea of creating a space that the kids could make their own. And then we had the standard items in the brief like outdoor entertaining, maximising the view and low maintenance.”

Architectural designer Jeff Mason from Detail Consultancy says the family was looking for something “reasonably basic but functional”. They wanted to use raw materials to blend rustic modern textures that connected to Twizel’s outdoor environment.

What’s been achieved here through a collaboration of ideas between Simon and Jeff is a beautiful, contemporary home. It sits on a large 1079sqm section within a well-positioned subdivision, commanding outstanding views. The T-shape layout provides for a large garage on one arm of the T, with three spacious bedrooms on the other arm and an extensive living and dining area down the centre. The outdoor living space also adds volume and liveability to the home.

“Although our first thoughts were to use a timber cladding [for the exterior of the home], we chose to use the recycled Nu-Wall aluminium vertical weatherboard cladding system,” says Jeff. “This was to allow for low maintenance while the bach was not in use between seasons. This looked great with the Dimond Solar-Rib roofing profile to give that modern-style feel with the traditional gable roof lines.”

Simon is pleased with the choice of cladding. “I love how each panel is unique in colour and finish;
they change with the light reflecting off them from dark brown tones to bright bronze shades, which fit in well to the surrounding Mackenzie basin.”

Jeff says any design is always a collaborative process with the client and that every client brings different requirements. In this case, the sharing of ideas via 3D modelling and video software meant the analysis and fine-tuning of the design could be done quickly between Simon and Jeff.

Simon’s decision to use the Rockcote Cerano exterior concrete finish in the entranceway kept with the raw material feel he wanted. The product extends from the exterior through to the internal entrance, making
it appear as one wall, before stepping into the vaulted ceiling space of the living area.

The construction, both outside and inside, is robust and of a superior standard. Simon chose to work with Dimension Building due to the team’s enthusiasm for building high-quality homes to award-winning standards. Director of Dimension Building Richard Phiskie was thrilled to work on this build.

“Simon actually found us by asking a subcontractor working in his subdivision who the best builder in this area was, and they mentioned us,” says Richard. “The rest is history.”

Richard shared Simon’s understanding of what he was wanting to achieve on this project, so communication was a breeze and everything ran smoothly.

Richard in particular highlights the different products used internally throughout the home. For instance, the birch ply through the garage and laundry areas, the tiles in the bathrooms and the grooved MDF on the ceiling in the main living and kitchen area.

“I particularly like the Laminex scalloped panel in the powder room and the West Coast schist on the barbecue area,” says Richard.

The stunning Travertino Navona Bone and Travertino Navona Grey tiles feature in the bathrooms, both supplied by Brymac Tiles. The three-dimensional graphic glaze on the Navona tiles creates a unique and striking finish that combines the aesthetics of original travertine material with the versatility and practicality of glazed ceramics.

No house build is without its challenges, but only minor issues arose for Richard’s team. For example the ceiling of the main living area required some “attention to detail” as Richard puts it. “All the grooves of the MDF had to line up both ways to give clean lines.”

He adds: “The Nu-Wall cladding was a new product for us to install but once the boys got their heads around it, they thrived on the challenge of installing it.”

The chimney surround that gives it a chunky look was difficult to lift up and install, but the end result is quite stunning.

In addition to the Nu-Wall e-Series aluminium cladding, the exposed aggregate concrete patios and densely planted natives tick that low maintenance box for the family, and the extensive outdoor area provides plenty of space for dining, entertaining and a hot tub.

However, the low maintenance requirement comes with one exception: the lawn. “The lawn is one of my hobbies and I try to make it look really beautiful,” says Simon. “It’s difficult working on it remotely, but we do our best to get it looking lush and inviting whenever we’re down here.”

Besides the lawn he loves, Simon is really enjoying the outdoor area for lapping up the afternoon and evening rays. “I love putting the outdoor cooking fire on and making some pizzas for dinner,” says Simon. “And I’m also loving the pickleball court cut into the driveway concrete. There have been some great battles fought there already.”

Gieve agrees, saying, “It’s so relaxing to watch the children play on the lawn and raise a glass with friends and family. We also have the option of being sheltered from the winds with the side roller blinds or lightening up the space with the louvres.”

The children’s room is a highlight for the smaller members of the family, with the built-in custom joinery housing two queen beds and two king single beds. “The room has been double-sized and contains a couch and a TV for their private viewing sessions, so that they can escape the adults,” says Simon.

The only significant challenge from the couple’s point of view in the building of this 289sqm getaway was the weather conditions, typical of the Mackenzie basin. “Originally the schedule had been to do the concrete pours in August or September, but due to harsh temperatures, we had to split the pour into two. We also had to delay the Rockcote Cerano plaster finish and the driveway due to the risk of a poor finish if we did it in winter. Not that that was a biggie,” says Simon.

The homeowners are delighted with the resulting home. “Dimension Building and Detail Consulting transformed our dream of a family-friendly bach in Twizel into a stunning reality. Their exceptional attention to detail and superior workmanship ensured that every aspect of our bach surpassed our expectations,” says Simon.