Queenstown is a city well-known for its picturesque waterfront enclave surrounded by mountains. When purchasing the lot, the owner immediately realized the value of the land underpinned by its expansive view of the lake and the mountain. The client presented the brief to the Bato Studio team with a challenge to design two units. Currently, the planning control allows a total coverage of up to 40%. The site is in a low-density zone with a limited volume of earthworks at 300m3 and 6.0 m height – restriction.

The main point of the brief is to create a light-filled space in which the frontage faces the lake vistas of the mountain and lake. However, the steep topography posed some design challenges, as expected. The difference between the front and the back boundary is about 5m. Fortunately, the site has two street fronts with open views of the lake spanning from northeast to southeast. The client also insisted that

In this scenario, our design solution focuses on developing a multi-level layout that ties in seamlessly with the beauty of surrounding nature and flows with the steep hillside. The neutral color scheme with wooden panels, black-painted metal frames, and white walls emphasizes the contemporary look and feel of the project. The main entrance to the units locates on the lower ground floor with two bedrooms. Both bedrooms have walk-in wardrobes and ensuites. The higher ground floor is the heart of the home with communal spaces such as the kitchen, dining, and living overlooking the lake with full-size windows allowing unobstructed views of nature. Two upstairs bedrooms, a bathroom, laundry, and a garage spread through the back of the house. By splitting the units into two levels, we carefully calculated the volume of earthworks to satisfy the strict planning requirements. In addition, a simple but flexible layout provides our clients with endless possibilities to replan the home according to their needs.

In our DNA, it is important to appreciate the beauty of the natural backdrop by not overpowering it with complicated design.