European Energy-efficiency Meets Kiwi Lifestyle In Pioneering North Canterbury Waterfront Home Development

New Zealand’s largest-ever multi-unit Passive House development is taking shape at Pegasus, the fast-growing new township 25 minutes north of Christchurch. Eight lakeside designer homes are on offer, built to Europe’s Passive House standard that ensures the ultimate in energy efficiency,

Known as Nest Lakeside at Pegasus Bay, this pioneering development is a joint venture between property company Templeton Group and Canterbury construction firm Nest Residential. David Parker, Director of Land Sales at Templeton, says the opportunity to develop the biggest-ever Passive House project in the country was the driving factor in establishing the JV with Nest. “We’re extremely proud to facilitate this,” he says. “We had the land and we just knew the site was worthy of something special. And now that’s exactly what’s going to happen.”

Passive House standards

The eight standalone two-bedroom villas sit directly opposite the central lake in Pegasus amid park-like surroundings, representing stage one of the development. This stage is scheduled to begin in July, with completion anticipated by the end of summer next year. A limited number of slightly larger three-bedroom homes on somewhat bigger sections–offering mountain rather than lake views–will come onto the market later this year in stage two.

As state-of-the-art dwellings from an environmental perspective, the homes at Nest Lakeside use all of the principles of Passive House design to achieve the highest levels of energy efficiency. The aim is nothing less than to require the absolute minimum energy input to achieve the maximum in year-round comfort and healthy living. Location, building layout, window placement (with triple glazing), thermal mass, insulation and shading all play their part in making these homes five times more efficient than the average new build in New Zealand.

In fact Nest Lakeside villas are packed with clever design features that contribute to making these some of most liveable homes imaginable. Orientated towards the sunrise, each villa comes with power-generating solar panels, a singular living space and water heat pump, a heat recovery system, polystyrene insulation of the concrete base slab foundation, and an air-tightness wrap. The large triple-glazed windows and smart ventilation ensure high indoor air quality and an abundance of natural light, with comfortable indoor temperatures easy to achieve year-round.

Design details

Architectural design elements within the stylish two-bedroom/two-bathroom homes include stone kitchen benchtops with European appliances, fully-tiled bathrooms with underfloor heating, and high-stud dining and living rooms with automated blinds. Both the master bedrooms and the living areas face directly onto Pegasus Lake across the road. Each villa occupies 161 square metres complete with two-car garaging and sits on a section between 215 and 247 square metres.

Founded in 2014, construction partner Nest Residential has been involved with multiple townhouse style developments in Christchurch, all built using Passive House principles and practices. Founder and director Simon Fenwick describes Nest Lakeside as offering the best of both worlds, in several different ways. “As Passive House creations, the villas are designed to deliver the ultimate in healthy living environments for their owners while being extremely cost-efficient to run from an energy usage perspective,” he says. “Owners get a semi-rural outlook, yet the convenience of being close to the focal hub of Pegasus, and with low maintenance gardens. These are stylish, high-quality, European-style designer homes, superior in their own right, and will underpin the long-term value of homes in this precinct.”

Lifestyle location

With the Waikuku Beach and Pegasus Beach surf breaks on the edge of the township, an 18-hole championship golf course in the middle of the town, and a network of flat biking trails linking all corners–from the beach, through the residential portions and into the surrounding countryside–Pegasus is evolving as a lifestyle residential enclave.

The eight homes in stage one of Nest Lakeside at Pegasus Bay are being marketed for sale through Bayleys Rangiora priced from $1.179million. Salesperson Lance Farrant said the lakefront location of the homes offered one of the prime building positions within Pegasus, with unobstructed waterfront views while being just a short walk from the town’s central retail amenities. “And all of this within easy walking distance of both the beach and the golf course for year-round recreational activities. While, in winter, Mt Hutt ski field is just a two-hour drive away,” says Farrant. “Pegasus really is the ultimate lifestyle destination for lovers of outdoor activities, appealing to Aucklanders looking to move south and Christchurch residents seeking lock-up-and-leave holiday homes.”

Immediately adjacent to State Highway One, the master-planned township of Pegasus began emerging from rural farmland in 2006, with the first section titles issued in 2008. By 2010 the bulk of the community facilities were completed, including the genesis of what is now the core commercial centre just a short walk from Pegasus Lakeside Villas.

The town is now made up of 1,800 residential homes sustaining a population of approximately 6,000 people. At the end of 2020 Pegasus benefited significantly from the opening of the $290 million Christchurch Northern Corridor roading infrastructure project. This delivers quicker access to the North Canterbury region from Christchurch and has opened up the area for further residential development.

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