New Build – Sarges Way, Lake Hawea

A NZ beech clad home in Lake Hawea, with plenty of room for the kids.

In 2018, Kawhata and Amy secured a section on Sarges Way in Lake Hawea, near Wanaka. For this house, they wanted the build to be focused around the unique Central Otago climate. Materials would be specified above the standard building code, to ensure a healthy, durable home for the new owners.

Kawhata and Amy found a lovely section at the base of the plateau of Lake Hawea and designed the house specifically for the site, with a family vision in mind. Their efforts in planning the home resulted in a local family approaching Niche Design & Construction asking to buy the property essentially off the plans, before the cladding had even gone on! This was a dream for Kawhata and Amy, as the designers and builders for the project.

The house was designed with three generous sized bedrooms, two bathrooms, ample storage, a scullery, a separate laundry and garage with internal access. The layout meant the parents could escape from the children when needed, and well positioned to maximise the space outdoors for children to explore.

The house was clad in a NZ sourced beech, a sustainable and readily available exterior cladding which has a similar appearance to cedar. The stain was chemical free, a health conscious product.