Saddle House, Queenstown

Saddle House is a private residence located high on a hillside within the New Zealand Southern Alps. The site is subject to strict planning guidelines requiring any built structures to remain invisible from public vantage points. Rather than treating this as a constraint, the design uses the natural topography of the site as the basis for the architecture, positioning the home within a natural saddle between two hillsides.

The house follows the contours of the land and is largely concealed within the existing landscape. The saddle landform has been reinstated over the roof of the home, creating a continuous green roof that allows the building to recede into the hillside. From key public viewpoints, the architecture is therefore largely absorbed into the surrounding terrain, while carefully positioned openings provide expansive views from within.

The internal spaces are organised in response to both the sun and the surrounding mountain landscape. Rooms and circulation routes are aligned with changing patterns of sunlight throughout the day, as well as views towards significant mountain ranges, creating a strong connection between the interior and its alpine setting.

Material selection references both the local vernacular and the region’s gold-mining history. Visible facades are constructed from locally sourced stacked schist stone laid over blockwork, while windows are framed by robust concrete and Corten weathering steel surrounds. These materials give the house a grounded, durable character suited to its exposed alpine environment.

Interiors and furnishings were designed by Virginia Fisher, with landscape design by Suzanne Turley. Together, the architecture, interiors and landscape reinforce the house’s connection to its setting and its deliberately understated presence within the Southern Alps.