Two Sheds by RTA Studio
Projects
There are few homes that capture the spirit of the Southern landscape as effortlessly as Two Sheds. Positioned beneath a ridgeline overlooking the Remarkables, Kingston and Coronet Peak, this award-winning residence draws inspiration from the humble rural sheep sheds that have long defined the region's architectural language.
Designed as two distinct forms connected by a carefully considered arrival sequence, the home balances a restrained rural aesthetic with exceptional sophistication in its planning, materiality and detail. Every space is orientated to frame a different aspect of the surrounding landscape, creating a home that feels deeply connected to its environment.
Recognised with both the 2026 Home of the Year Readers' Choice Award and a 2026 NZIA Southern Architecture Award for Housing, Two Sheds is a remarkable example of contemporary New Zealand architecture.
We were proud to contribute to this exceptional project and are delighted to share a closer look inside.
We sat down with ECC Project Lead, Talia Indyk to discuss the thinking behind Two Sheds — exploring the brief, key design decisions, and how lighting brings the home to life.
How did the client and architect describe what they wanted the lighting to achieve, and how did that evolve from first conversation to final design?
From the outset, the ceiling required minimal disruption. The exposed timber beams, raw structure, and central round chimney were the architectural heart of the project and the brief was clear: don't compete with them. Every decision that followed came back to that single principle of restraint.
What does a strong working relationship between a lighting designer and an architect look like on a project like this?
On this project, it looked like trust. The architect's brief was clear: keep lighting minimal on the ceiling. The client brought an exciting counterpoint: a genuine enthusiasm for what lighting technology can do, with a vision for a fully responsive, intelligent system. Finding a design that honoured the architect's quiet precision while embracing the client's ambition made for a richer outcome than either brief alone would have produced.
Lighting is often invisible when it works perfectly — is there something in this space that most people will never notice, but you're quietly proud of?
Almost all of the functional lighting here is hidden—you feel it, but you don't see it. On a project with deep, dark finishes throughout, achieving the right warmth and visibility without obvious overhead fixtures required careful planning. The fact that the lighting doesn't announce itself is exactly the point.
How did you arrive at the specific fixtures used, and what made them the right choice for this project?
Every fixture was chosen to either disappear or earn its place. The Flos Zero Pro black tracks were mounted to selected beams—adjustable and low-profile enough to read as part of the structure.
Brightgreen D700+ downlights in black kept ceiling disruption to a minimum, and the iGuzzini Laser Blade, hidden in the battened entry ceiling sets the tone as you arrive.
For display, the iGuzzini Palco spots are small, precise, and easy to adjust. The decorative layer—Marset Soho and Santorini, Vibia Tempo, Flos Aim and Glo-Ball—brings warmth and personality to the scheme, balancing the rawness of the architecture with something more relaxed and human.
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Products used:
Brightgreen D700+ downlights in black
iGuzzini Laser Blade
Marset Soho and Santorini,
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RTA Studio
Photography: Samuel Hartnett
ECC Project Lead: Talia Indyk
