New Zealand
2022
@waimarino_lodge + @designbasearchitecture + @walkerandco__
Waimarino Luxury Lodge is set to redefine the high-end accommodation landscape, under development on the shores of Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown, New Zealand. Where luxury often comes at the expense of connection, by design Waimarino delivers touch points few have previously considered. Sustainable at its core, the property invites connection to others, self and nature.
Due to open late 2022, the eco-conscious property blends into the landscape; villas topped with living roofs. Thoughtfully imagined by its founder in partnership with Design Base Architects, Waimarino is just 12 minutes’ drive from central Queenstown.
Waimarino – Maori for Still Waters – is no ordinary experience. Every design detail is considered. Founder Andrew McIntosh believes that often exclusive accommodation comes at the sacrifice of connection. In response, Waimarino offers the likes of shared meals cooked over fire and gin making using botanicals from the on-site garden. Though just minutes from town, its exclusive environment feels a world away.
“We wanted to give guests the opportunity to disappear into their villa but also offer up areas of connection like the garden and orchard, yoga studio, restaurant, fire pits, and distillery. The materials we have used have been sustainably grown and sourced, whilst the ambiance is one of understated clean sophistication,” explains McIntosh.Described as modern, minimalist luxury, Waimarino is a bold shift from the traditional hunting style lodges dotted across New Zealand. It’s modern aesthetic touches lightly on the landscape; clean lines inspired by the lakeshore environment. Sustainability is paramount with solar power, lake and spring fed water and organic treatment systems.
Waimarino is offering for sale a limited number of luxury and premium villas, as well as a four-bedroom residence. It provides the astute investor an opportunity to secure one of the last lakefront properties in Queenstown. Owners have enviable use of their villa 14 days per year, inclusive of access to an Audi e-tron electric vehicle, Rand electronic power boat, restaurant, day spa and yoga studio. Owners also enjoy equal share in the onsite Still Waters Distillery, its associated business and assets.
Powered by sustainable off-grid technology, Waimarino is the accommodation of New Zealand’s future. The low-eco footprint and modular pre-fabrication build means each villa is gently placed into the environment by crane. Secluded yet convenient, the lodge spells calm in understated ways. From the sunken deck bath to the living roof tops that improve comfort through naturally dispersing and retaining heat, not only does it call for connection between people, but to nature and stillness.
Minimalist design does not sacrifice on modern comforts; each villa appointed with high-end fixtures, state of the art one-point sound systems, retractable cinema screens and more. Guests enjoy a genuine garden to table experience with access to the onsite vegetable garden and micro-orchard. They can choose to cook in the privacy of their villa or have Waimarino’s chef cook the days catch over coals by the lake’s edge. Tactile experiences range from mountain biking trails to rowing the timber boat out on Lake Wakatipu with tailored picnic supplies.
