Architecture & Design

QUEENSTOWN COUNTRY CLUB

Located between Lake Hayes Estate and Shotover Country neighbourh­oods, Queenstown Country Club comprises over 230 private villas and apartments, a rest home and dementia care – but that’s where the similariti­es to the traditiona­l model end.

- WORDS SARAH CAMPBELL ARCHITECT WARREN AND MAHONEY ARCHITECTS PHOTOGRAPH­ER MARINA MATTHEWS

When it is completed, the Queenstown COUNTRY CLUB WILL fill A REAL NEED FOR GRADUATED RETIREMENT LIVING IN THE AREA, PROVIDING A RESORTLIKE LIFESTYLE AS WELL AS WRAPAROUND AGED CARE.

Located between Lake Hayes Estate and Shotover Country neighbourh­oods, Queenstown Country Club AT Ladies Mile, Queenstown, New Zealand comprises over

230 private villas and apartments, a rest home and dementia care – but that’s where the similariti­es to the traditiona­l model end.

A civic space provides a lively heart to the wider residentia­l area and the proposed retail centre, adjacent to the café, gym and pool, will contain services such as a florist, pharmacy, hairdressi­ng salon and boutique bar. A clubhouse and medical centre are also part of the mix.

A central piazza is intended to be used for farmers markets and community events so the general public will have many opportunit­ies to engage with the facility. Also planned is a childcare centre which will broaden the generation­al strata even further.

The Clubhouse has a visible position on Ladies Mile and its symmetrica­l gable and recessive colours share the style of notable buildings in the vicinity such as the nearby Amisfield Winery.

The 51-hectare estate is located within a Special Housing Area and a percentage of the properties within the developmen­t have been set aside to help address the district’s housing supply and affordabil­ity issues.

The variety of private villa types on offer are oriented for maximum sunlight and each typology provides private outdoor space.

When it is completed, the Queenstown

Country Club will fill a real need for graduated retirement living in the area, providing a resortlike lifestyle as well as wraparound aged care.

Buildings of different scale and geometries are linked by laneways and courtyards to create defined public, private and semi-public areas. The result is a developmen­t that steers clear of a monolithic imposition on the landscape with a mix of building forms that creates visual interest.

Situated on a prominent site on the approach road to Queenstown, it was important that the architectu­re embrace the regional vernacular. Respect is paid to local forms and materials. Gabled and pavilion-style buildings work well within the dramatic alpine environmen­t and reflect the design of neighbouri­ng properties.

Natural materials such as stone and timber feature strongly but, rather than sliding into a pastiche of the local style, elements have been translated in a contempora­ry way.

The project, set for completion in 2020 is the first of its kind in the Wakatipu Basin that will not only offer local retirees the option to stay in the region, but challenges the social thinking behind facilities of this nature, creating a multi-generation­al model that integrates rather than segregates.

 ??  ??
 ??  ??
 ??  ?? ABOVE Natural materials such as stone and timber feature strongly but, rather than sliding into a pastiche of the local style, elements have been translated in a contempora­ry way. OPPOSITE The Clubhouse has a visible position on Ladies Mile and its symmetrica­l gable and recessive colours share the style of notable buildings in the vicinity such as the nearby Amisfield Winery.
ABOVE Natural materials such as stone and timber feature strongly but, rather than sliding into a pastiche of the local style, elements have been translated in a contempora­ry way. OPPOSITE The Clubhouse has a visible position on Ladies Mile and its symmetrica­l gable and recessive colours share the style of notable buildings in the vicinity such as the nearby Amisfield Winery.
 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Australia