So how do you get away with building a homemade up of glass pods in an area that gets to sub-zero conditions? Simple, you use the Pacific Thermal system with the best quality double glazed Low-E coated glass. That's exactly what this Closeburn homestead did. Set amongst stunning native bush, on a subdivided station overlooking Lake Wakatipu, a 15-minute drive from Queenstown, it wanted to make the most of capturing the stunning environment.

But home as beautiful as this doesn't just rise up from the ground. It needs a talented team with skilled craftsmen to assess the land, build schedule and client requirements. A major challenge for the build was for 'no damage' to the surrounding bush, so meticulous planning was critical along with continuous communication between all parties on site.

Winter weather building of large hillside, bush-clad homes in the Queenstown area can often have unruly precipitation. Snow and wet weather time and time again create a damp environment until the building is closed in and dried out. A fundamental difference in the approach for this build which helped mitigate many of the time risks was to have Vistalite Invercargill complete not just the fabrication of the windows and doors but to also manage the full delivery and install of each window and door. This allowed the building crew to get on with other parts of the home which in turn sped up the building programme.

The home features an array of exacting details from rebated sills giving the appearance of floor to ceiling glass walls, consistent hardware selections throughout the home, through to beautiful American Oak Timber reveals. The end result is a natural-looking timber-clad shell with generously sized and thermally broken windows and doors punching their way through to bring light as well as warmth and the serene outdoor surroundings in.

Location - Lake Wakatipu
Architect / Designer - Mason & Wales
Industry Sector - Residential
Systems - Pacific Thermal System
Products - Euroslider™ doors
Fabricator - Vistalite Invercargill - Lewis Windows