Vision, innovation and Kiwi can-do attitude are bearing fruit in the Waitakere ranges, for it is here that the log cabin is undergoing a stunning transformation into the Te Huia Log Home.

Logs for Te Huia Twin Peaks were sourced in the central North Island, extracted by horse power and brought to their final setting.

John Donovan is the man with the drive behind this initiative. “A log home has everything going for it,” he said when Rural Living visited.

“They look good, they are very well insulated, and they are built of sustainable resources. There are log buildings in Europe and Russia that are 400 years old.”

Historically the Douglas fir is the log of choice for building log homes.

As if to prove a point about the sustainability surrounding the Te Huia Log home project the logs were even hauled out of the forest by horses.

“I think there is only one man in NZ using horse-logging, though for obvious reasons it has gained popularity overseas.

“Horses in the forest cause minimal damage in comparison to big machines, and they save a lot of fuel.”

John has been working on his log home project for a number of years.

Like a lot of ideas its gestation has been marked with many refinements.

The design fixed upon is solid, comfortable and flexible. It is certainly imposing, and one visitor remarked that the drawing looked as inspiring as a ship at sea.

“It is modestly sized – not a huge building, but it can be open plan or adapted to three, even four bedrooms. It is not a structure as a house only either – we envisage them for many purposes.”

Building homes with logs requires skill. Adzes and cross cut saws have been replaced with the universal chain saw, but the techniques are to all intents and purposes unchanged since the first log homes were constructed.

The notch and saddle joints are incredibly strong, and avoid the necessity of using screws or other fixings, as the logs effectively lock the frame together. The skill is in selecting the timber in the first place.

Shaping and construction follows. Photos John Donovan.

“Every tree is chosen for a specific purpose; I spent a week in the forest with my log builder hand-selecting the right trees to fell.”

The Douglas is fine timber and it is also straight and tall, but even it has a spiral in the grain which requires an expert to place correctly.

Sadly if they are not used here as homes, they are chopped and exported for cheap pulp. That seems a shocking waste of a resource which we can add value to here.”

Most of the log homes built in NZ have gone to colder parts of NZ, and the potential as beautiful, naturally insulated homes further north has not been fully explored.

This Te Huia Twin Peaks design is perfect for warmer climates as well.

“What I’m endeavouring to do here is build an accessible design,” John continued. “People think of log homes as the very typical log cabins. But what we have done is design something innovative which has logs as a feature, and is replicable.

“Despite the months of hand-crafting involved it is re-erected on a client’s land in a day or two, and any conventional builder completes the internal design according to the client’s own needs and wants. We simply make a beautiful natural wooden log frame which allows maximum scope for the client’s needs and budget.”

Prior to being shaped, the green logs have the bark removed. Building with the timber ‘green’ gets the best results and allows the shaped logs to settle and dry into each other.

There is some ‘checking’ that occurs as the frame dries but this splitting of a log is encouraged along the lateral grooves of the logs.

Each lateral log has a groove in its underside, meaning it ‘sits’ upon the log below wedging onto it.

As the logs dry, they shrink and compress and the joint becomes completely tight and weather-proof.

The Te Huia Twin Peaks Log home is an imposing design from almost every angle. The site for the ‘show home’ looks due south across the Manukau Heads.

The site takes advantage of a north/south axis using bi-folds and glass walls in each end.

This ensures the house can take advantage of the solar radiation, and enjoy the lovely views over the sea.

In summer this would risk the home becoming uncomfortably hot, but the roof line forms an awning, ensuring the sun is kept out in summer but will fill the house in winter.

“I believe these log homes are solid investment and anyone buying one will be pretty happy with themselves.”