The Cardrona Cabin - so impressive that it is now know as ‘the chapel to craft’ - was given this award by New Zealand’s leading architecture awards programme on the 3rd of November.
The craft, which was built with rapidly renewable FSC® certified New Zealand plantations Abodo eco-timbers throughout, in the exceptional design by Assembly Architects, takes an abstracted gable form of a Central Otago stone shed. It was then built by Dunlop Builders who crafted every aspect with meticulous detail.
The symbiotic relationship between all three elements - the material, the design, and the construction – is what makes this award-winning showcase so remarkable. The cabin demonstrates the Abodo range of thermally modified timber products in practice: cladding, structure, linings, flooring, fenestration, joinery, furnishing, and fence posts showcase the products.
Furthermore, this cabin helps communicate Abodo’s guiding principle and unwavering commitment to sustainability - no longer can we use slow grown, imported timbers to build premium homes and structures. This building is a showcase of what can be achieved when we think differently - and how easy it is to inspire others to build sustainably.
As mentioned above, Abodo timbers are sourced from sustainable, rapidly renewable FSC® certified New Zealand plantations that help to mitigate climate change by absorbing vast amounts of carbon.
With extensive use of Vulcan timber in the interior and exterior, over 9 tonnes of carbon is stored in the Vulcan timber elements alone, dramatically offsetting the small amounts of concrete and structural steel used in the building.
Using state-of-the-art thermal modification and grain orientation technology, we can craft beautiful timbers that stand the test of time, reducing the carbon footprint of buildings, without disadvantaging future generations.
"We didn't build the Cardrona Cabin to win awards - although they have been gratefully received. We built the cabin to showcase New Zealand's finest product design, architectural design and craftsmanship." – Daniel Gudsell, Abodo Founder
Read more about this project here.