Essentials
Name: Cardrona River Terrace House
What: 330 square metre home; three bedrooms, two bathrooms, open plan kitchen, dining and lounge, media room; atrium connected to enclosed walled courtyard; wellness-focused areas – a gym and sauna
Where: 10320 square metre site in subdivision; outskirts of Wānaka
Project certification: 8 Homestar rating v 4.1 (November 2024)
Project Snapshot
Owner: Chris and Margaret Hurley
Architect: Chris Norman, Chaney & Norman Architects
Homestar assessor: Beth Chaney-Walker, Chaney & Norman Architects
Main contractor: Level Construction
Energy modelling: Jessica Winter, Hiberna Ltd
Project timeline: site purchased 2017; design phase commenced 2020; construction October 2021 to June 2023
Improving people’s living environments is the Hutcheson Street Homes headline act.
Big-scale skies, panoramic mountain views and peacefulness spurred Chris and Margaret Hurley’s house project perched above the Cardrona River.
Incentive also came from the couple’s deep commitment to connect their home to the environment and grow a low-impact, future-proofed home equipped with non-toxic materials, passive design principles and resilience to off-set Central Otago’s climatic extremes.
Living sustainably, eating organically and pursuing good health and well-being has been part of their pathway.
From the outset they sought a form of verification to ensure the project ticked the green boxes - and Chris had a lead.
“I’d been impressed by several post-quake Green Star rated commercial buildings in central Christchurch and thought there must be a residential rating tool too. Our enquiries led to the NZGBC and we discovered Homestar.”
The tool was integrated early in the timeline – an action which Homestar assessor, Beth Chaney-Walker, says urged strong outcomes.
“The owners wanted an eco-friendly, thermally-optismised, energy-efficient forever home that treated its own wastewater and used low-VOC materials. We confirmed an 8 Homestar rating as a core project goal during the early concept design stage. Having that target from the outset provided real clarity in decision-making and allowed us to assess the design against performance criteria at every stage of development,” says Beth.
She says the 8 Homestar target shaped the entire design approach.
“From the outset, sustainability was woven into the design rather than approached as a collection of extras — and Homestar provided a valuable framework for testing and refining decisions along the way.”
With Homestar pushing the boundaries beyond the sustainable strategies employed in a standard build - that testing and refining included thermal modelling.
Chaney & Norman architect, Chris Norman, says the simulation process was a key player.
“Thermal modelling during the design process helped shape the building form, refine the home’s placement on site and optimise window locations and sizes to balance performance – while maintaining strong connections to the landscape.”
Further down the track the iterative modelling feedback delivered
He says the house is a contemporary collection of form and functions - carefully scaled to sit comfortably within an expansive landscape.
“What excites me most is how the house and landscape act as the perfect conduit for the way the owners want to live. It supports remote work with individual offices, relaxation spaces and wellness facilities. The walled gardens, rain and grey water harvesting, solar generation and a working scullery and central larder all enable a high level of self-sufficiency.”
Key sustainable features include:
“Many of the performance features operate quietly in the background which is exactly the point — they create a home that’s comfortable, healthy and resilient while being easy to live in. The systems work together to reduce running costs, improve indoor air quality and support greater independence from infrastructure,” says Beth.
Main contractor, Level Construction, says while it’s conscious of best building practice, the project’s affiliation with Homestar “causes you to focus a lot more on the WHY - regarding design, use of materials and overall sustainability.”
“Homestar also highlighted the importance of managing materials, our ordering processes and managing wastage. With the extra benefit of educating our suppliers about what the project stood for and what we can all gain from further education about sustainability in our industry and the efficiencies to be gained,” says Level Construction director, Robyn Millar.
She says the 8 Homestar rating is “a fantastic accomplishment” given the house commenced post Covid - a period defined by cost increases and the challenge of sourcing specified materials.
“The project is a stunning example of exceptional design, nailing the client brief and adopting a collaborative project team approach – resulting in a beautiful home which is everything the owners hoped for – and along the way they’ve enhanced the land. With this amazing Homestar rating we’ve all achieved what we set out to do.”
For the owners Chris and Margaret Hurley that achievement closes the circle on a sustainable way of life.
“What has surprised us is the high-quality internal atmosphere the house provides. Walking in on a cold but sunny Central Otago winter’s day, without any heating other than that provided by the sun, one is met immediately with a feeling of warmth and comfort. It is wonderful.”