Tye Residence (aka Natural Stone Home - Archipro)

Every so often a project is achieved where the synergy of components makes an exceptional finish. This collaboration between client, stonemason, quarry, and builder has achieved a unique home.

The clients engaged Robin Dalton of Southern Stonemasons Wanaka very early in the process of designing the house. Robin’s outstanding craftsmanship and knowledge has helped to drive the final result.

The clients were committed to achieving a particular aesthetic and visited the quarries to understand the extraction process. They were involved from the early stages of design, through construction and decided to combine stone from two quarries to achieve the aesthetic they wanted.

From the design stage the house was engineered around the size of stone required, rather than engineering dictating the stone footings. The depth of stone is a critical part to the process. The veneer was designed at 250mm, which is wider than usual and allowed larger stones to be incorporated.

Communication and a strong relationship both with the clients and builders was a critical aspect to the high-quality finish achieved in this home. Certain design elements required collaboration, to the point of cutting out a cardboard template of some of the stone shapes needed to be found in the quarry.

Stone was mechanically fixed to the underside of steel lintels. Doing so hides them so to imitate a structural stone form rather than veneer. This technique is generally used to fixing stone panels to high rise commercial buildings. This method of construction is not common in New Zealand and almost unheard of in schist as it requires specialist knowledge. Robin mechanically fixed stone in South Africa and has since taught his whole Wanaka based team this method.

Between conversations around depth of stone, hiding the steel lintels (by mechanically fixing stone to the underside of the lintel), achieving unusual angles and using stone from different quarries, the completed home is proof of what can be possible.

More detail available through https://archipro.co.nz/project/natural-stone-home-wanaka-stone