The most rewarding projects are built on relationships. Designing a family’s forever home in a place I genuinely love makes this opportunity especially meaningful.
Rob Mills
Set within the extraordinary landscape of Lake Wānaka, with Mt Aspiring in the distance, this residence draws its strength from the land itself. Three carefully composed pavilions, strong masonry blades and a long body of water establish a sense of symmetry, calm and permanence, while natural light and expansive views move through the architecture. Influenced by the quiet minimalism of Philip Johnson’s Glass House and Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House, the design is deliberately simple, yet powerful in its presence.
The residence also reflects the confidence and creative ambition of its owners. While deeply respectful of New Zealand’s proud architectural identity, they wanted to challenge convention and create a home informed by ideas and influences from around the world. Conceived as their forever residence, the result is international in outlook yet deeply connected to its remarkable setting: a home designed to feel calm, inspiring and almost spiritual in its experience. Working alongside local consultants and using local materials wherever possible further strengthens its connection to place.
Healthy design is expressed through every aspect of the residence. Natural light, carefully framed views, fresh air and a strong connection to the surrounding landscape create an environment that supports wellbeing throughout every season. Thoughtful planning ensures the home is equally suited to quiet daily life and multi-generational family gatherings, providing comfort today while adapting gracefully to the years ahead. The result is a residence that feels calm, enduring and perfectly aligned with both its owners and the extraordinary landscape of Lake Wānaka.
RMA’s creativity is supported by strategic management, ensuring the ambition for a project remains connected to the realities of time, cost and construction. Here, the brief was to create an inspiring home for sharing life with family and friends, while delivering genuine value for money. This clarity led to a simple rectangular form, generous ceiling heights and expansive glazing, with a lightweight timber structure responding to the risk of earthquakes. Clad in Japanese Sugi, the result demonstrates how thoughtful decisions can achieve architectural character, quality and value without unnecessary complexity.
The things we choose to live with become part of the story of our lives. A favourite chair, a work of art, an object discovered while travelling or something passed from one generation to the next can hold meaning far beyond its function. We believe a home should make space for these things and allow new memories to gather around them. Furniture, art and objects are therefore never simply the finishing touches. They help transform architecture into something deeply personal: a home that could belong to no one else.
