At the water’s edge

When you’re upgrading a property as special as this, it’s important to get it right. The owners, who have had their holiday retreat here for more than a decade, wanted an understated dwelling that would meld with the bush backdrop, but they were also keen to retain direct access to the lake down the western elevation of the home. An old tractor, parked up in the shed, pulled their trout-fishing boat straight into the water.

The 1970s house enjoyed the privilege of a footprint close to Rotoiti’s lapping edge, so it was important for Nick Chibnall-West, principal partner of DCA Architects,