Top architectural design: Sheppard Rout
Designed with sustainability in mind, the Ōpuke Thermal Pools and Spa in Methven has proven to be a winner for the environment, and also for Sheppard & Rout Architects.
The pool complex was a winner in the commercial category of the 2022 New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) awards.
Near Methven and close to the base of Ōpuke, the complex design references a journey across the Canterbury Plains, through the nearby Rakaia Gorge, and into the mountains beyond.
Judges say the architects cleverly illustrated this journey with material selections and architectural forms that reference ideas of protection, compression, and opening: a gabion walled entranceway leads one inside, where internally expressed roof grid of LVL beams float mountain-like above beech-clad interiors.
From here, alternate pathways lead to family, adults-only, or exclusive luxury spa areas, making this facility a pleasure to explore, and a positive addition to the area’s tourism.
