Franz Josef Getaway

in progress      complete

Project Details

Nestled up against the mountains of Franz Josef, this Japanese-inspired holiday home offers a seamless connection to the surrounding rainforest. Thoughtfully designed for calm and relaxation, the space embraces natural materials and minimalist aesthetics to create a tranquil retreat. Engineered with StrawSIP panels, the home ensures superior insulation and durability, providing a warm sanctuary protected from the often harsh West Coast weather.

Project Brief

Holiday house featuring two bedrooms, designed for comfort and simplicity

  • Simple, symmetrical layout emphasizing clean lines and balanced form

  • Large roof eaves providing robust protection from rain and sun, enhancing durability

  • Internal courtyard creating an immersive rainforest ambiance within the home

  • Use of raw, natural materials including timber, clay, stainless steel, and linen for authenticity and texture

  • Design inspired by Japanese Ryūken aesthetics, blending minimalism with natural beauty and serene atmosphere

  • Focus on creating a tranquil, harmonious living space that connects indoor and outdoor environments seamlessly

  • Energy-efficient and sustainable building principles integrated through material selection and structural design

  • Achieve Passive House and Homestar 10 Certification (target/goal but not an absolute requirement)

Performance

  • Homestar 10

    To receive a Homestar rating, a house must meet additional performance and sustainability requirements above and beyond the New Zealand Building Code.

    Homestar provides a clear framework for better design and build for a more efficient home.  It’s an independent rating tool for assessing the health, efficiency, and sustainability of homes across Aotearoa New Zealand. 

    Homestar rates on a scale of 6 to 10 so that homeowners and professionals can better understand where their home or design fits and steps they can take to improve to a better, healthier standard. A 10-star rated home is an exemplar house across all areas of energy, comfort, health, water, waste, operation, proximity to amenities and material management.

  • Embodied Energy

    The embodied energy of the building is extremely low compared to almost all other construction methods in New Zealand.

    With straw, timber, clay, lime, magnum board and wool making up the majority of the building materials.

    Additionally no cement is needed for the foundations by using Wildboar Ecopile foundations.

  • Passive House Certification

    Passive House Certification means that a building meets rigorous energy efficiency standards designed to minimize its ecological footprint. This certification ensures the home maintains exceptional airtightness, superior insulation, thermal bridge-free construction, and optimal ventilation with heat recovery. As a result, certified Passive Houses require minimal energy for heating and cooling, leading to significantly lower utility bills, enhanced indoor comfort, and improved air quality. For builders and homeowners, achieving Passive House Certification represents a commitment to sustainability, durability, and long-term energy savings.

Project Details

  • StrawSIPS Wall System

    StrawSIPS Wall System

    The design was based around our modular panel system. 31 panels totallng 59m2, utilising all of our diferent panel types. The 8 degree roof pitch is built into the panels.

  • Charred Macrocarpa Weatherboard Cladding

    Macrocarpa that had been sitting in a farm shed for 30 years was used for the cladding. The 150 x 25 mm roughsawn boards were charred using the traditional Japanese method “Yakisugi” or “Shou Sugi Ban”. The finished product was oiled with Tung Oil.

  • Timber Windows and Doors

    Triple glazed timber windows from Thermadura with recycled hardwood exterior and oak interior timber creates an unmatched performance with natural materials.

    Tilt and Turn as well as Lift and Slide hardware is utilised.

  • Clay Plaster strawbale

    Clay plaster Interior

    The StrawSIPs walls in the living area are clay plastered to provide a healthy, comfortable living environment. The thermal mass of the clay helps to regulate temperature, and the humidity regulting properties ensure comfortable and healthy air all year round.

  • Engineered Oak Flooring

    Solid Oak flooring from NZ grown sources is used throughout for the flooring and ceiling lining. New Zealand grown exotic hardwood and softwoods are a local, sustainable way to source a large varieties of timber at reasonable prices. Solid Oak offers exceptional performance without the same price tag as engineered wood.

  • Terralana Wool Insulation

    Terralana wool blend batt insulation was used in the floor and roof to create an extremely warm insulation around the entire building. 280mm of insulation in the floor (R6.4) and 380mm in the roof (R9.6) combine perfectly with the 400mm straw walls (R6.2).

  • Magnum Board Structural Flooring and Internal Wall Lining

    Supplied by Health Based Buildig, Magnum board is magnesium oxide based. It is VOC free, breathabe, mould resistant, silica free, CO2 negative, fireproof, and has great impact, water and air-transfer resistance.

  • STEICO Woodfibre Wall and Roof Sheathing

    A woodfibre board to be used as an exterior roof sheathing and wall RAB (rigid air barrier). Moisture-resistant, vapour permeable and windproof. With a low resistance to water vapour (similar to the StrawSIPS) moisture within the wall structure can easily escape to the exterior of the building without risking condensation and mould growth.

  • Stiebel Eltron Mechanical Ventilation and Hot Water Systems

    This mechanical heat recovery ventilation system recovers up to 87% of the heat and is able to remove moisture from the air as well. Ideal for small buildings. This system will keep the air fresh and warm all winter without needing to constantly heat the house, and the outside air can be filtered before entering the house.

    Air to Water hot water heat pumps are some of the most efficient hot water systems available, making large savings to monthly energy bills.

  • Wastewater Heat Recovery

    The Showerex wastewater heat recovery pipe uses the warm greywater from the shower waste to pre-heat the incoming cold water going to the shower. It can pre-heat incoming cold water from around 10C to 20C, meaning much less hot water is required to reach a nice shower temperature. Savings of up to 40% of hot water are realistic.

  • Low Energy Appliances

    All the appliances selected were partly chosen for their energy and water rating. All appliances would be suitable for a Homestar 10 rating.

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