Simplicity and elegance redefined in this lakefront family home
When James and Hillary O’Hagan purchased their Queenstown section, they knew they wanted a home that did justice to the location: an aspirational build within a reasonable budget.
After speaking to several architects, they chose Alessandro based on his skill set and his willingness to work in genuine partnership. It was important to the O’Hagans that the process was collaborative and the outcome reflected their vision for the home.
With the O’Hagans based in Queenstown and Alessandro working from Christchurch, this collaboration began over email.
“We had concept drawings coming through before we’d met in person,” Hilary says. “We’d have all of these ideas, but we didn’t know what it was going to look like; when we saw the drawings, it was like – ‘Ah! That’s it! That’s what I was getting at.’ Alessandro could take our ideas and articulate them visually without even meeting us in person. It was incredible.”
“I’ve never seen an architect as proficient in being able to communicate their ideas through technology,” James says. “It made the design process so much easier for us.”
“I’ve never seen an architect as proficient in being able to communicate their ideas through technology,” James says. “It made the design process so much easier for us.”
Part of Alessandro’s architectural philosophy is to provide thorough information and advice, then let the client make the ultimate decision. This led to a thoughtful, collaborative design process with multiple iterations, where Alessandro’s expertise refined and strengthened the O’Hagans’ ideas and concepts.
The resulting three-level home is designed to reflect the shape of the section and make the most of the lakefront views. The visual impact is of a simple, elegant building, with the top floor almost hovering in the sky, and a unique angled frontage that focuses the eye across the lake to the mountains beyond.
The house is designed to capture sun and warmth throughout the seasons, and Alessandro conducted extensive sun studies as part of the design process. The deep eave of the north-facing glazing makes the most of the vertical summer sun, without blocking the horizontal winter sun. The result is a home that is warm, welcoming and inviting at any time of the year.
“The house is wonderful,” Hillary says. “It flows really well, it’s comfortable to be in; it feels like a space where you can relax and just live simply.”
James agrees, saying that “good architecture should make you feel good.”
“I know that we’ve created a space that makes me feel really good,” he says. “Alessandro was able to refine and challenge our ideas and come up with an outcome that ultimately captured everything we wanted but made it even better.”
As well as meeting the O’Hagans’ expectations, the house has gathered its share of admirers from the local community.
“A lot of people that walk past say, ‘That’s my favourite house in Queenstown,’” Hillary says. “It’s because it’s unique, and it has real flair.”