The Gold Standard - take a peek at this award-winning home
13 January 2023
Fiona and David’s shearing gang must be the luckiest crew around.
“They love taking their break under the SkyLouvres. It’s a great spot!”
Fiona and David Bush had a strong vision for their newly-built home, which sits on their farm in Parnassus, in North Canterbury.
“When replacing our old, earthquake-damaged homestead we decided our new home had to be warm and filled with light. But as farmers we spend enough time under the strong Kiwi sun, so we wanted to limit any direct sunlight into our home or outdoor living space,” says Fiona.
How did they achieve light without the sun? By installing a J&C Silencio and a Concertina SkyLouvre – and they are delighted with the result.
“We can open up the entire Concertina SkyLouvre so our kitchen and living space is filled with light, but when we want to be outside or when the sun is at its harshest we can filter it out by tilting the louvres. We get the best of both worlds!”
The SkyLouvres are attached to their newly-built home and also connect to their outdoor fireplace, creating a beautiful, enclosed outdoor living space.
“The SkyLouvres, along with the heating and lighting we had installed, have really extended our outdoor living into the shoulder seasons. With the fireplace and J&C’s overhead infrared heater we can be outside in the pouring rain and still be cosy.”
Fiona and David’s home, built by Coughlan Homes, also includes rural must-haves such as a mud room and wetback to minimise the impact of rural power outages. No wonder it has won a Regional Gold Medal in the Registered Master Builders’ House of the Year competition.
“It’s just fantastic – we love it. And our farming crew love it too!” says Fiona.
Inspired? See more photos from Fiona and David’s home here.