This is not the first time Tūhoe have taken on a Living Building Challenge.

Their award-winning Te Kura Whare was the first Living Building in New Zealand and the Iwi have now completed their second Living Building project, which also uses Abodo’s FSC® certified, sustainably harvested eco-timbers.

The Visitor’s Centre features charred Vulcan Cladding on the façade, with two large panels at either end of the building. The charred timber panels are symbolic of an important event in the tribe’s history, when the Crown employed its scorched earth policy against Tūhoe in 1867.

The panels were created onsite by Iwi and Abodo staff members, using a traditional Japanese method of preserving wood (‘Shou Sugi Ban’) by burning the surface of the timber to a consistent depth of char.

After charring, the boards were sealed with Protector Oil Ebony, to prevent rub off. Charred timber, if produced correctly can last for generations.

Vulcan timber was also used for window and door joinery (finished with Protector Oil), the Centre’s decks are in Sand Decking, finished in Protector - Pearl.

Where feasible, the building also uses locally sourced materials and labour.

Importantly for Ngai Tūhoe, where the meaning behind the wood also plays its part, the wood fibre used for the project is locally sourced by Abodo from FSC-certified forests in the Kaingaroa region, most of which are on or close to Ngai Tūhoe land.

The Visitor’s Centre includes ticketing (for the great walk), café and kitchen, administration, retail and a wānanga space.

The building is reflective of the lake and the surrounding geomorphology, designed by the talented architects at Tennent Brown.

We’re proud to work with Tūhoe on their second Living Building challenge, supplying Abodo sustainably harvested, eco-timber joinery and cladding.

The Centre opened on 23 December 2016.

This project won two gold awards at the 2018 New Zealand Timber Design Awards:

• Commercial Architectural Excellence Award
• Wood & Fibre Creativity Award

The Roscommon House is constructed primarily from concrete, with a large amount continuing from the outside-in and featuring in the house’s interior design.

Despite appearing as a concrete building from the outside, the interiors are remarkably warm, a result achieved through the extensive use of timber.

This project is a demonstration of how versatile timber is in the different forms it has been used.

The textures and colours can be paired with opposing materials (in this case; concrete, brass and stone), to produce a much richer environment and harmony through the intricacy of detailing.

Vulcan timber was selected for its beautiful, consistent colour tones.

Materials to last many generations

The Roscommon House is designed and built to last many generations, and as such needed conviction in the material selection, both from a structural and moral standpoint.

The selection of long-lasting, low maintenance materials contributes thermal mass, maintaining stable internal temperatures regardless of the season. Insulation– both thermal and acoustic– adds to indoor comfort throughout the year.

Inspirational design

Walls and ceilings have been designed as a series of unadulterated planes and blocks of interlocking sculptural shapes, further emphasised through services and lighting being generally discreet or even hidden.

The timber cabinetwork and timber clad wall elements read as one to simplify the visual reading of spaces. The fluid kitchen island bench with the hovering stone top reflects the local iconic beachside concrete kiosk building saved by the community.

Sustainably sourced timber

Timber in the project was sourced from certified plantations. Approximately 40% of the timber in the project was Vulcan scotia or boards and is produced from FSC® Certified Forests.

A cosy timber reading room

The Reading Room in Roscommon House is an intimate space. There is no exposed concrete like elsewhere in the house, and a combination of timber and colour has been used to create a cosy environment.

All walls except one are clad in Vulcan timber scotia battens and are broken up by recessed display and book shelving.

Timber kitchen genius

The kitchen of Roscommon House features extensive amounts of timber and marble surfaces, balancing hard and soft materials. The texture of the marble within the smooth surfaces contrasts with that created by the profile of the Vulcan timber scotia battens.

The battens are a thermally modified product originally from plantation Pine. The consistency offered by this process meant that nothing detracted from the texture created by the batten profile. The battens have also been integrated into the fridge/ freezer doors and the cavity sliding door to the pantry.

Utilising the individual unit of the scotia batten the sculptural form of the island bench has been clad, relating the external roof forms of the building whilst continuing to add warmth to the interiors.

Nestled in Taupo’s Hilltop suburb this high specification build features high ceilings and plenty of natural light.

Built as a show home by Design Builders Taupo, this house is no standard build. Abodo’s Vulcan timber with Sioo:x finish has been used extensively to the exterior of the home, in addition to interior feature walls, even the front door.

A spacious “all weather” barbeque area, also clad and lined in Vulcan Cladding, is waiting to greet home owners looking to cook and eat outside.

Design Builders have managed to achieve a point of difference by utilising the WB10 profile in random width, combined with the scandi-style Sioo:x finish, which will gradually silver to a soft low maintenance patina.

In a painstaking weathering process, the Design Builders craftsmen pre-weathered the Vulcan internal timber feature walls and garage doors, giving a natural feel that flows from exterior to interiors.