Alexandra Rock House

The clients vision for their Alexandra home was to be a simple, not fussy, bold building that worked with the site and exposed as much rock as possible. Sitting high on the hill above Alexandra on Central Otago schist rock and thyme, the site has expansive view across the Clutha River to the rolling plains of the Maniototo, across to Hawkdun Range. The fenestration products in this building of course had to maximise these picturesque views.

The design of this ‘Rock House’ respects the natural rock formation below and sits proudly above it, while still allowing the rock to dominate. Built on the rock it nestles into the hillside nicely, sitting on large steel poles with very little impact to surrounding homes. This home is really designed to take in all the views spanning North to South.

7 years from design to completion, with covid interrupting the flow, this home now sits with an outstanding level of finish and detail. From removal of rocks to the last finishing touch, this build definitely had its challenges! With the clients and architects carefully overseeing the build team, every detail of the extensive plan was followed and achieved and is a true testament to all involved. Glazing was a key aspect to get perfect, with the goal to reduce visual impact with a low reflective glass, and good solar control to reduce overheating in summer, but still retain heat over the cooler months. On this occasion the client and architect opted for a Viridian product (Performatech 72 Low-E) chosen in 2020. The client also wanted a low maintenance option when it came to cleaning the glass – so the factory applied a coat of Vitro Glaze. This is a permanent coating applied to the outside of the glass which prevents adhesion and build-up of contaminants and provides water and oil repellent properties. Essentially making the glass self-cleaning! All nicely presented in APL Metro Thermal joinery with Chant hardware selected for all windows and doors. The house also features underfloor heating via heat pumps and an Intello wrap ensures there is very little heat loss—the windows and glazing is key to the thermal performance of the home, maintaining heat consistency.

As for the detail around the window measure, to ensure every area was covered the sizes had to be millimeter perfect. All flush floor to ceiling with recessed blinds and curtains covered the sill and head details. All widths were maximum span of external wall from linings to cladding – no room for error! Multiple site measure checks and review gave us confidence and satisfaction in the end result of this detailed home.

The Windows & Doors:

• APL Metro Thermal (anodized colour: Medium Bronze Frost)
• Chant Hardware (Medium Antique Brass)
• Viridian Performatech 72 Low-E Glass. Low reflective