Inside New Zealand’s Most Breathtaking Home Shaped by Nature (House Tour)

Located in the Wakatipu Basin on New Zealand’s South Island, Kārearea House by RTA Studio, which takes inspiration from the region’s majestic native falcons, is the most breathtaking home shaped by nature. What defines it, however, is the site’s staggering 360-degree views to The Remarkables, Coronet Peak and the Crown Range, and the architects’ response to these multifaceted aspects.

“We’ve done a few houses in this area and, over the years, we’ve developed an approach that’s firstly about identifying the significant views,” says Richard Naish, founder of RTA Studio. Though Naish acknowledges that the perspectives are a gift, he believes good architecture is more about the control and release of views.

This philosophy underscored RTA Studio’s approach to crafting the most breathtaking home shaped by nature. The roof lines played heavily into this idea; designed to follow the contours of the land and echo the surrounding topography, the roof dips in parts and soars in others, creating views both vast and precise. The shape of the roof was also inspired by the endemic New Zealand falcons from which the project takes its name.

It is indeed the most breathtaking home shaped by nature and the internal experience speaks to this sentiment. To the south, the bedrooms sit beneath the low-lying portion of the roof, resulting in softly lit, enveloping and intimate spaces. Conversely, the shared living areas are located on the northern side where the roof stretches higher into the sky, flooding the rooms with natural light and creating a sense of openness befitting for this part of the home.

The kitchen and dining areas sit at the centre of the plan, with outdoor terraces to the east and west: “A morning side and an evening side,” comments Naish. Featuring full-height glazing and a continuous floor plane that stretches out into the landscape, the result is a diaphanous yet protected core anchored by the kitchen. Not only does this space represent the social heart of the most breathtaking home shaped by nature, where the clients come together with their family and friends, but it is also the architectural axis from which the plan unfurls.

The kitchen initially reads as a seamless extension of the architecture, with minimal
visual interruptions. It is, in fact, a highly organised and complex space. The clients, after selecting a full suite of Fisher & Paykel appliances, worked with the team to unlock the performance ergonomics of the kitchen and scullery, using the modular nature and aesthetic continuity of the products to create discrete zones for food preservation, preparation, cooking and cleaning.

Of this home’s many qualities, its most compelling is its contextual resonance. An early sketch produced by RTA Studio depicts a series of wavy, horizontal lines representing the outline of the lake in the foreground, the jagged mountain tops in the background and the proposed roof line through the centre. It’s a simplified, rudimentary interpretation that says a lot about the home’s intended relationship to the vernacular, and the finished piece of architecture – the top of which rises and falls in tune with the alpine background and water’s edge – is the most breathtaking home shaped by nature.

00:00 - Introduction to the Most Breathtaking Home
01:12 - The Location Centred Brief
02:36 - Approaching the Home
03:09 - Walkthrough of the House
04:11 - Restrained Interior Styling
05:44 - The Kitchen Design and Appliances
07:21 - A Balanced Material Palette
08:29 - Curating The Views
09:21 - Proud Moments

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Photography by Sam Hartnett.
Architecture by RTA Studio.
Interior design by RTA Studio and Gezellig Interiors.
Build by RBJ.
Styling by Biddi Rowley.
Landscape design by Katie Deans Landscape Design.
Joinery by Wakatipu Joinery and Formatt Bespoke Joinery.
Engineering by HFC Group.
Appliances by Fisher & Paykel.
Filmed by The Local Production
Edited by HN Media.
Production by The Local Production.

Location: Wakatipu Basin, New Zealand

#Nature #Home #NewZealand

[RobertBird]

Beautiful home and location, but I'm particularly impressed by the production value of the video; stunning cinematography, intelligent editing and thoughtful music selection that creates a calming mood. Fantastic.

[by.pritchard]

Location, location, location. I really love the ocean, but the mountains here really capture my attention. The way the home interacts and adjusts itself with the landscape is perfect. I’d also like to mention that the music selections for this video fit really well with the mysterious nature of the footage, especially in the intro. 👍🏻👍🏻

[edw]

Nice to hear the designers/architect's talking like normal people without the OTT pompous architectural jargon, very refreshing.

[lici-]

I am not an architect, but listening to the thought process behind creating such beautiful and well-thought-out homes is inspiring. Thank you!:)

[ianwilsongardendesign]

Harmonious combinations linked the outside weather and landscape with the interior and exterior of the house, creating an overall feeling of elegance and sombre reflection. This was an elegant, well-thought-out design that used top-end finishes, taking advantage of the stunning views, all while employing a simple palette of natural, earthy colours. I think it would be relatively easy to add colour if you wanted to introduce some colour/vibrance/contrast, which I personally wanted to see while still appreciating the "less is more" approach. Thanks for sharing.

[nikkilogan]

Wow!! Watching this feels like a movie!! This home really blends with the nature with the breathtaking view!
Feels like I wanna cook there everyday with that kind of view surrounding me.
I overall love the home. Really took my breath away! Thank you so much Local Project! 😎🏔

[ianchmp]

What a spectacular location. Just superb!

[Zoya_Skye]

Everything in this video is just perfect. From the song at the beginning (who‘s the artist??) to the design, combination of materials to the landscape - this house is literally outstanding!
I definitely use this as an inspiration for the renevation of my house.

[carbonvideo]

The concept is interesting, but I would enjoy a beautiful, warm, contemporary home in this setting. It's okay if the home is different than the environment. It creates a kind of harmony between the two in the mind of the occupant.

[Jan_jan]

So beautiful 😍 almost makes me sad that I will never experience such a lovely home😢. Hope the owners appreciate how lucky they are.

[dogcatman]

The stone masonary is beautiful and fascinating - I would like more information about how these walls and columns were created.

[CourtneyBishopPOA]

Outstanding. The land itself is an absolutely gorgeous color scheme, and the home, indeed, amplifies the experience of place. Does anyone happen to know the opening song? 🙏🏻🕊

[ripebananas]

If I was in the market searching for a house, I'd be having trouble picking the Dovecote or this. A very masterful presentation.

[janelte]

Thoughtful and restrained in the best way

[garygibson]

Very interesting architecture & interior that blends into the outdoor textures and color pallet, wonderful execution. I assume there is a hidden gutter system - is it part of a rainwater harvesting system?

[Vera_Lecko]

AMAZING project in a delicious film. Thanks.

[lazlo]

Lovely project, incredible production, a 24 favourite!

[AmeliaJory]

I will live here one day - gorgeous home!!!

[andrew]

Love this Fisher and Paykel sauna house thingy

[ArutchelvanUmasankar]

The house looks good but I think the people are shown more in the video, would like t see the house in more detail.