Holiday homes and retreats in the Mackenzie.
Areas we design in
Tekapo · Twizel · Ōhau · Fairlie · Omarama · Aoraki Mount Cook
Why Archco in Mackenzie
Award-winning alpine work
The Lake Ōhau retreat won ADNZ regional awards for both architecture and interior, was a national finalist, and was a Best Design Awards finalist.
Designed for the climate
High-performance envelopes, efficient heating and passive design for long, cold winters and big daily temperature swings.
Built to suit remote sites
Timber pile foundations, gabion edges and materials chosen for transport and installation in remote locations.
Our work in Mackenzie
Local planning
Planning and building in Mackenzie
Outstanding natural landscapes
Much of the Mackenzie Basin is identified as an outstanding natural landscape, with rules about where and how you can build, including form, colour and reflectivity. We design to these rules from day one.
Dark sky lighting
The Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve means outdoor lighting is controlled. We plan exterior lighting that is compliant and still practical.
Two councils at Ōhau
Some lakeside areas, including parts of Lake Ōhau, fall within the Waitaki District rather than the Mackenzie District. We confirm which council and plan apply to your site.
As featured in
03 questions
Questions we're often asked
We live in Christchurch. Can you design our Mackenzie holiday home?
Yes, and it is one of the most common ways we work. Design meetings happen in our Christchurch studio, and we travel to the site when it matters.
Will we need a resource consent to build in the Mackenzie?
Often, yes, particularly in landscape-sensitive areas. We prepare resource consent documentation and coordinate any landscape assessment needed.
How do you handle the extreme climate?
Through insulation, glazing performance, orientation and heating strategy, designed together. The Lake Ōhau retreat is a low-carbon example.
Contact
Start your Mackenzie project.
Phone
03 928 3983Meeting us
We travel to Mackenzie sites for key design and construction milestones.
Getting to your site
Tekapo and Twizel are around three hours' drive from our Christchurch studio.