Living in the trees

The owners of this rural valley home swapped their busy lives in Dunedin for a calmer pace of life. Mike Kapua of Mike Kapua Builders developed a close relationship with the homeowners during the build.

Mike says: “Richard and Fiona live a lifestyle deeply connected to the outdoors. Whether tending to their gardens, exploring walking tracks, or fly fishing around Otago rivers and creeks. Their love of nature shapes the way they designed and use their home, creating spaces that blend indoor comfort with outdoor living.”

In an early meeting with architect Gary Todd, Richard and Fiona mentioned they like to feel like they’re living amongst the trees. “Gary designed the inverted trusses and ceilings with battens to resemble branches and trees,” says Mike. “We have worked alongside Gary on many projects and have a strong relationship with him and his team. On the Orokonui build we especially worked closely with Gary and the clients to bring the project to life with clarity and precision.”

“Open communication was key, discussing ideas, refining solutions and navigating challenges together so the finished project reflected Richard and Fiona’s lifestyle and Gary’s creative vision,” says Mike. Together, we created a smooth transparent process that resulted in a home that feels thoughtfully crafted, cohesive and uniquely tailored to suit Richard and Fiona.”

There were many challenges along the course of the build, including the excavation of an old tree stump and some soft ground that was discovered early on and expertly managed by Cargill Contracting. “The unique inverted trusses made of LVLs (Laminated Veneer Lumber panels) weighed a lot! They had huge cantilevers and required a lot of planning and setting out in order to make the roof and ceilings work.”

Along with LVL trusses, steel portals were utilised in the structural system. “Allcor Fabrication did an outstanding job in manufacturing and installing the steel portals and support posts for the trusses to be attached to. The angles at which inverted trusses were seated on to posts had to be very accurate and Allcor Fabrication had aced it,” says Mike.

The eco sanctuary of native bush and trees is visible from the site which influenced the selection of Flaxpod Colorsteel claddings and aluminium joinery paired with grey-washed ‘timber trees’.

“The eco-built collection of timber ‘tree forms’ was designed to challenge traditional residential forms for a design more contextually at home and relevant in the natural environment,” says Gary.

Gary chose to line the ceilings, soffits and columns with plywood and timber battens to mimic tree
branches to create a sense of familiarity and warmth in spaces, plus allow movement in the structure like trees that embrace the wind.

In the kitchen dark textured bench tops adorn twin island units and wall units installed by Joinery Specialists. The green tiled splashback adds a refreshing colour highlighted by LED strip lighting. The living room features timber battens and plywood of folding indoor ceilings and columns extend to outdoor spaces. In the bedrooms the family’s art collection stands out on a backdrop of Resene Flaxpod painted walls.

In the bathrooms moody dark tones of tiles, cabinetry and low levels of lighting create a sensuous experience of a private space with high-level glazing to view forest skylines.

A Steibel Eltron ventilation system was supplied and installed by Davies Heat and Cool. The ventilation system has 80mm ducts running under the slab into internal walls of each area of the house. The slab was then polished and expertly finished by Accurate Cutting Ltd.

Design Windows Dunedin, ensured the glazing envelope for this project exceeded standard residential specifications. Matt Flaxpod Metro Thermal Heart series aluminium framing systems were combined with thermally broken profiles, incorporating AGP’s Solux Ultra high-performance double-glazing units.

Gary says: “The success of this project is through enjoyable and passionate collaboration of the architect, builder and client who actively shared in the process of design, construction and finishing of a home that created a beautiful sense of belonging in its landscape.”

This unique home was awarded Finalist in the Residential Building of the year Colorsteel Awards 2025. Mike says: “Richard and Fiona made the whole build enjoyable by showing appreciation for our work through the entire process. The finished project reflects their lifestyle and Gary’s creative vision. Together, we created a smooth transparent process that resulted in a home that feels thoughtfully crafted, cohesive and uniquely tailored to suit Richard and Fiona.”

Contact details:

Mike Kapua Builders
027 774 2051
mwkapua@gmail.com
www.mikekapuabuilders.co.nz