Situated on a steep, east-facing slope in central Nelson, this residential project by Karsten Architecture Limited has won two ADNZ awards. The residential project was carefully designed to capture sweeping views of the Grampians Hills, with a strong focus on locally sourced, sustainable timber.
Inside, the spatial layout is defined by a rigorous and visually striking 1200mm structural grid. In a bold move for a residential build, the architect completely eliminated traditional plasterboard, choosing instead to let the timber skeleton serve as the final interior finish. Rafters and columns are left exposed at precise 1200mm centres, creating a rhythmic, warm, and highly legible framework. This structural discipline is supported by 63mm-thick Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) flooring, which seamlessly spans the grid modules to provide both exceptional strength and a unified aesthetic.
The primary structural frame to be built entirely from locally manufactured pine using high-precision digital fabrication. Externally, the home is clad in selectively logged West Coast beech, deeply grounding the project in its regional ecology. To balance the visual weight of the timber, expansive full-height windows are fitted within the structural bays. This ensures every room benefits from uninterrupted, panoramic valley views, beautifully merging the home's structural exactitude with the surrounding landscape.