In association with PeterFell.
Oriented towards the lake, while also capturing views of the mountains and golf course, this urban bach in central Wānaka was designed by architects who know what to look for. James Hyndman and Erin Taylor of Hyndman Taylor made savvy decisions right down to the last detail in this NZIA Award-winning dwelling constructed by Rutch Building (profiled in our October/November 2023 issue). One of those was to run with coloured concrete flooring, for a subtle visual connection to the alpine environment in a hue that complements the FlaxPod Colorsteel exterior cladding.
Going for PFL677 from PeterFell’s Special Charcoal range was an astute choice that’s the perfect partner for the warm ashin timber that surrounds the holiday home’s main social spaces. Warm in its own right, but especially in a dark colour, concrete is a thermally efficient inclusion, passively absorbing and regulating heat for a cooler feel in summer, and releasing it to provide radiant heat in winter and at night.
As Erin points out, its suitability for this upscale bach is clear. “Concrete forms robust flooring that feels great underfoot, and we went with an informal polished finish that suits a relaxed vibe. The seamless, non-directional surface works well with the angled floor plan and is easy to keep clean, while the salt-and-pepper look offers enough speckle to hide obvious dirt.”
She mentions it delivers on an acoustic level too. Most houses have a timber-framed midfloor, but this has a concrete one that lessens the transmission of sound between the living spaces and the bedroom below them. Boxes? They’re all very much ticked.
peterfell.co.nz
Words Philippa Prentice
Photography Sam Hartnett
