When we think of Wānaka, we think of those mountains and that lake, of open spaces and the outdoors. Yet much of Wānaka’s recently developed housing is quite intensely suburban. 

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In this context, architect Rafe Maclean has developed a knack for creating distinctive, individual houses that somehow capture the sense of joy that comes from living in the mountains despite neighbours and building convenants – as seen in two delightful designs both recently featured in Here. 

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Owens House is an elegant fortress on a suburban site made up of two buildings – one containing the house, the other a garage and office – around an internal courtyard. From the street, there’s little to see but a wall built from concrete bricks and solid steel doors; behind those doors, the spaces between the buildings are as important as those inside them. There’s no formal front entry; decks and boardwalks connect the spaces between the main home and the office. Inside the house, it’s crisp and gently minimal, with pared-back materials and fine detailing.

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Around the corner, Maclean also designed the Ross Campion House for a young family – this time, on a tiny infill site bordering a council reserve but closely packed on three sides by suburban housing. To make things harder, development controls allowed only for a single storey. Into this setting, Maclean inserted a small, hard-working house clad in red corrugated steel and lined internally with plywood. Efficient spaces and airtight construction are one thing: a delightful roof deck with views of the surrounding mountains is something else entirely. 

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Conveniently, these two homes are a seven-minute walk apart; even more conveniently, they’ll both be open for readers of Here on Saturday 23 September. We look forward to seeing you there.

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What:

Owens House and Ross Campion House by Rafe Maclean Architects

Where:

Wānaka, Central Otago

When:

Saturday 23 September, 2023, from 9.30am

Tickets:

$25 (limited numbers!) from open-home-wanaka.eventbrite.co.nz

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