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Three years ago, John Donovan built a demonstration log house on his property in Waitakere, Auckland. The images in a recent newspaper article caught my attention, as did the mention of ‘eco’ and ‘efficient’. So I tracked John down to get his thoughts on sustainable building with logs. And we talked about pyramids…
Te Huia Log Homes
John is a well travelled, innovative Kiwi with a lot of respect for the natural environment. He wanted to create a home that embodied natural resources such as timber, so he went to the South Island and learnt how to build log cabins.
Log cabins are certainly great for using wood in a very natural state. They’re not everyone’s idea of a modern home though, plus it can be tricky to get all the logs to sit tightly together and avoid draughts. John adapted what he learnt, taking some cues from the peaks of the Waitakere Ranges and Te Huia Log Homes was born.
Sustainable Building with Logs
Just like a log cabin, a pyramid may also not be everyone’s cup of tea as a home, but there are some elements to this design that I really like. They’re simple yet elegant, they’re certainly strong and resilient and they’re a great way to add value to a plentiful natural resource. John’s selective method of tree felling is certainly appealing and with capacity for good insulation in the thick walls, I think these could be quite a sustainable home.
If not as a primary house, I could definitely see an Eon or a Twin Peak making a very distinctive lodge, retreat or small function centre.
Find out more about Te Huia
Check out a load more images on John’s website. He’s also been featured in EBOSS, as a case study for ACH Consulting Engineers plus various other articles.
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