HOME IN ONE
A holiday dwelling provides a stunning outlook across the Canterbury foothills and beyond, all while being a mere golf-swing away from the Pegasus Golf Club.
WORDS Joshua Brosnahan PHOTOS Stephen Goodenough
ARCHITECT Mario Luz, Dalman Architects BUILDER Nick Griffin
From the very first meeting with his client, Mario Luz from Dalman Architects recognised a man on the same wavelength as himself – a design-driven individual with similar tastes in furniture, art, and the concept of what a house should be.
“In that sense, it was like I was designing a house for myself, because of this meeting of similar minds, there was freedom to move the pieces around and to experiment with concepts.”
The brief was simple, a holiday house with timber cladding and an independent area for guests and family. Pegasus House is settled within incomparable views over the 18th tee of Pegasus Golf Course, on the west side of Pegasus town. As a holiday house for a client that enjoys playing golf away from his busy life in Singapore, this is a stunningly bold and modern offering.
This section blends in with the golf course. Located on the centre of the section for ample free space, and to maximize distance from the road, the build explores the concept of negative and positive spaces.
The ‘negative’ space is the living area; somewhat of a central void, created by the four elements that surround it. There are three pods and a service wall. Inside these ‘elements’ are the positive spaces that serve the house with their functions, such as the owners’ sleeping area, the guests’ sleeping area, the garage, and the kitchen and service area.
According to Mario, each one of the elements has well-defined materiality that expresses character and helps reinforce the idea of an assembly of functions. Pre-cast concrete was chosen to complement the choice of cedar.
“The timber and the concrete materials run both inside and out, having a dual-use of cladding and lining, which makes the interior feel like the exterior, and vice versa. By contrast, the pods are smaller spaces with a lower ceiling, while the centre is open and wide with the collective character of a gathering space.”
Different exterior views and outdoor areas are created and framed in between the pods allowing the smooth transition between the living area and external terraces. The glazed window stackers slide into pockets, removing the sense of boundaries between in and out; the golf course becomes part of the house. Mario states there is a sense of belonging here.
“This means the boundaries between inside and outside spaces vanish. Your brain loses all limits when the landscape becomes part of your living space.”
The client is equally enamoured by this feature. “My bedroom is super cosy when the sliding windows are closed, but on a sunny day with the windows opened, it creates an area almost like a patio where it feels that you are sitting amongst the grass and tussock. The same can be said about the dining and living areas. When all windows are open, it’s like sitting in a pavilion – an amazing feeling! The natural light that flows in from the windows and the skylights makes the house bright, even on a cloudy day.”
The integrated dining/kitchen/living areas are well organised. This allows for a very social space where people can be together while different activities are going on, but at the same time, there are private spaces, such as the study area in the master room.
Nick Griffin acted as head contractors on the build and noted Mario and the client had a clear vision in place, making it a positive project to work on.
“From working with the architect, client, and sub-trades, I felt we all worked constructively to bring the vision to reality.
“From the degree of precision required to achieve the seamless transition between indoors and out, in particular the continuity of timber from internal linings to cladding, the consistent line from ceilings to soffits and the pocket sliding doors. Installing the pre-cast concrete panels was a challenge we took on enthusiastically and the results speak for themselves.”