Ian Craw’s dream of building a modern, timber-focused home in Nelson has culminated in an award-winning achievement that highlights both craftsmanship and innovative design. After losing their previous residence in the Christchurch earthquakes, Craw and his wife Rachel relocated to Nelson, where they envisioned a mid-century style house featuring exposed beams and natural wood elements.

Taking on the roles of designer, project manager, and builder, Craw constructed a post-and-beam house primarily from pine over the course of five years. The nearly entirely pine-built home recently earned two distinctions at the ADNZ Resene Architectural Design Awards, including a commendation for new homes sized between 150 and 300 square meters and the regional award for home interiors.

Craw described the recognition as especially meaningful due to his direct involvement in the building and finishing processes. Rejecting common materials like plasterboard and chipboard, he collaborated with a structural engineer to approve the unconventional joint connections, ensuring the integrity of his modular structure designed around a 1200mm pitch using Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL).

Leveraging his background as an automation engineer, Craw designed and built a custom CNC router to fabricate intricate timber components on site, including stairwell billets, kitchen cabinets, and bathroom fittings. He also engineered thick 63mm LVL flooring planks joined through a tongue-and-groove system to eliminate the need for an intermediate floor cavity, showcasing an integrated approach to both structure and finish.

The project faced significant challenges, particularly during New Zealand’s initial COVID-19 lockdown when the freshly installed lower floor LVL—a material sensitive to moisture—was vulnerable to exposure. To protect the timber, Craw secured tarpaulins and ultimately encased the entire structure in PVC bubble wrap, an unconventional but necessary measure to preserve the wood.

Though the Craw family has since returned to Christchurch to support Rachel’s elderly father, Ian Craw reflects on the lengthy project with pride. He emphasized the personal significance of living in a house that he not only imagined but extensively designed and built himself, underscoring the satisfaction derived from transforming a long-held vision into a tangible home.