We asked you – our loyal army of Design Hunters – which project in the Habitus House of the Year line-up was your favourite and the votes are in.

Habitus House of the Year curates the most outstanding homes each year, traversing countries and climates to showcase homes of all shapes and sizes.

As part of the program, we open up the conversation and ask you, our audience, to tell us which project is your favourite – all for a chance to win the Ultimate Design Hunter package.

With thousands of votes tallied up, there was one clear winner. We’re thrilled to introduce the People’s Choice winner for Habitus House of the Year 2021 is….

Three Peaks House by Michael Cumming Architect

A home in a picturesque setting of Wanaka in New Zealand’s South Island, Three Peaks House captures incredible views from nearly every room in the home.

“I wanted to ensure the breadth of these mountains was included from inside this new house, including the peaks,” says Cumming, who noticed that many homes on the South Island didn’t fully embrace this opportunity. “I just couldn’t simply slice of these peaks for those sitting in a living room, or in their bedrooms,” says Cumming, whose design includes high-raked, timber-lined ceilings.

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Sydney-based architect Michael Cumming designed this house with thoughtful consideration for how it was placed on the land, while consciously drawing reference to its unique context through the integration of a local stone. The Otago schist has been used both as a feature inside and jutting outside and shaped into a uniquely formed fireplace.

Moments of pause at the entry encourage visitors to stop and appreciate the natural surrounding beauty. A sense of cosiness is apparent through a timber cladding that wraps inside and out, enveloping the owner’s and sheltering them from the weather.

Timber was used generously to line many of the ceilings in the main living areas and the main bedroom, the latter extending to part of the walls to create a sense of envelopment.

Other touchstones include concrete hearths with gas fires ensuring that the house can be instantly warm upon arrival. Cumming was also conscious of ‘crafting’ a house, with many of the features, such as the timber island bench in the kitchen, made by Mark Tuckey.

Read more about Three Peaks House here

Habitus House of the Year would not be possible without our Partners: Major Partners StylecraftHOME and V-ZUG, and Supporting Partners Natch Essentials, Sub-Zero & Wolf and Rocks On.