Bunker beauty

WORDS Kim Newth PHOTOS Mickey Ross 

ARCHITECT Dalman Architects BUILDER Wilson Building 

Like some conjurer’s trick, a high country retreat at the foot of Mt John is so well-blended with the tussock alpine landscape it practically disappears into it. 

From Mt John, Tekapo, the views of tussock grasslands and lakes stretching to distant peaks are magnificent. Having grown up on a high country farm in the Mackenzie, Ben Simpson has a deep respect for this precious landscape. Taking care of it was top of mind when he started planning for a private retreat in the hills here. 

“My number one requirement was for a house that would not stand out and would not be seen,” says Ben. 

Given this whole area is a Dark Sky Reserve – and Mt John is a magnet for stargazers – his concept was for something that would melt into the landscape by both day and night. The end result is simple, strong and utterly unique: a concrete bunker house buried in a sloping hill site. So well camouflaged is this place that a local town planner recently needed help to find it. Bunker House doesn’t just touch the land lightly, it pulls off a vanishing act. 

The project’s lead architect, Richard Dalman of Dalman Architects, is well-versed in designing practical solutions for big landscapes. 

“I’d never been asked to design a house quite like this before – largely underground – but we know from experience what works in the high country,” says Richard. “This underground bunker approach is very appropriate for a place of extremes where it can get very cold in winter and very hot in summer. The insulation quality that comes from building underground helps even out those extremes.” 

Tussock planted over the top of the house screens it from above. From below, the slope of the hill obscures it from view. The Bunker House, tucked in halfway up the slope, looks down onto a little tarn with sweeping views beyond. 

“After visiting the site for the first time, I pretty much designed the layout in my head on the drive back to Christchurch: central kitchen/dining/living with bedrooms and bathrooms off both sides and with access straight in via a large, glazed wall facing west away from Mt John. I find that projects with big constraints, like this one, are often the most rewarding and can inspire the best architecture.”

Ross Sweetman, Associate at Dalman Architects, developed the details on how the compact 145 square metre house plan with discreet front deck would be built, working alongside the engineer, builder, and client.

“We wanted it to be durable, weathertight, and easy to maintain,” says Ross. “It is fully waterproofed underneath, on the sides and over the top. With exposed concrete inside, it really does feel like a bunker but it’s well-insulated, warm, and light.”

Clerestory windows bring light deep into the house from above. All mechanical services are housed inside the building, with a fully ducted electric HVAC system vented through the clerestory. Underfloor heating systems add to the sense of comfort. 

At the back of the house is a small reading room that marks the start of a future second stage, yet to be built, comprising a 30-metre tunnel leading to an underground hangar.

South Canterbury’s Wilson Building has a reputation for thinking outside the square, and it was certainly put to the test on this unique project. Garry Wilson says building the fully waterproofed envelope was a big challenge for his team, as was completing all the on-site concrete work.

“It has been an awesome project for us and a great result,” says Garry. “This was a highly technical and detailed build. Many of the panels were made off-site, but there was still a lot of concrete that had to be boxed and poured in situ, and it required a high standard of consistency.

“We do a lot of unique houses, but there’s only one bunker house. This building will be here forever.”

Ben says it is a real credit to both architect and builder that the home has been shortlisted for a New Zealand Institute of Architects’ award. “The original brief has been delivered, one hundred per cent.”

Bunker House is now available as boutique guest accommodation through the Cairns Alpine Resort.