An important piece of residential architecture in a majestic setting pays tribute to the humble barn.
The most popular building in the world is a barn, says Francis Whitaker, director of Dunedin-based practice Mason & Wales. This simple agricultural form, with its four sides and sloping roof, does not try to be anything other than what it was built for.
They often stand alone, solitary in the landscape, but not opposite it. In Aotearoa New Zealand, they have become iconic, part of the built vernacular.
“They really feel connected to the physical, natural landscape,” Whitaker says. “They have an agricultural, early settler function that creates an incredible connection to the landscape.”
The home that Whitaker designed for a Closeburn site, about 30 minutes' drive from Queenstown, pushes the barn concept into a luxury living hub, with high-quality contemporary finishes such as black steel and large-scale glazing framing the views. However, the agricultural references are there, which is particularly appropriate in this spectacular setting of Closeburn Station, where an old wooden shed has stood in its place for as long as anyone can remember.
The clients had their sights set on a stone barn-style holiday home and “it was a very clear brief,” says Whitaker. “There was no desire for anything else. They loved stone barns and rural landscapes. I often say to clients that the design outcome will strongly reflect the response to the physical aspects of the site and its orientation to views, sun and wind, as well as the culture and character of the site.
The shed shape is positioned to maximize views of a long, steep corridor of The Remarkables and deep, glacier-carved lakes, native shrubs and beech forests covered in rust-colored leaves. The shape of the barn does not detract from the alpine environment.
Here the views of the lake and mountains stood in stubborn contrast to the sun. And then there was the wind to contend with: it rages across the lake at high speed and is felt even more acutely on the exposed ridge where this house sits. The strategic placement of the semi-independent shed forms provides shelter from the wind while maximizing the views that make this region famous.
“The first thing we did was to lay out four basic rectangular shapes on the edge of the site's plateau overlooking the lake. We arrived with a very strong two-story barn with stabling and two beautiful guest rooms above overlooking the courtyard, and a one-story guest wing,” says Whitaker. “The second single-storey stone barn with the study, master bedroom, dressing room and bathroom overlooks the lake. Finally, there is a larger stone barn with a double height living room looking out to the lake below and up to the surrounding mountains.
The design expertly positions the stone barns with a sensible dividing element and offers them a contemporary counterbalance to their traditional form with a black steel and glass living pavilion nicknamed 'the Black Butterfly' due to its outward tilting roof. It's an impressive space that attracts sun all day and endless views of the Remarkables. Each barn is connected by glass passageways that connect spaces and open up to the landscape.
“Going from one barn to another is a wonderful experience,” says Whitaker. “You don't disappear into a long, dark passage to reach your destination. You can step from these glass links and rooms to outdoor spaces with views and sun, and always with protection from the wind.”
The result is an important example of architecture, with elegant interiors and carefully chosen artworks that enhance rather than distract from the setting.
Since its completion in 2019, the six-bedroom home has received media attention, a Southern Architecture Housing Award from Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects and will be filmed for the New Zealand version of the hit television show Best Homes, which is being hosted by British Location, Location, Location legend Phil Spencer.
“We're interested in buildings that have a sense of completeness, that are completely resolved,” Whitaker says. “The result must be beautiful and enjoyable, resonate with the landscape and have its own recognizable reason. If you can't put a project on a postcard, you should probably shoot the architect.”
PROJECT TEAM
Photography: Simon Devitt