Oiled Timber Flooring in a Christchurch Passive Home
Peak Performance is a 300sqm near-passive home in Sumner, Christchurch, floored in naturally oiled European oak from Vienna Woods. Architect Aaron Jones of Urbanfunction chose an Admonter oiled floor for a warm, low-off-gassing finish that suits an airtight, mechanically-ventilated house. Here is how it came together.
A near-passive home that still feels warm
The brief was a near-passive house that reads as a warm family home, not a science project. It was personal for Aaron Jones, director at Urbanfunction: the clients are his sister and her husband, and he had designed their previous home. The result is a 300sqm build in the coastal suburb of Sumner, Otautahi, tuned hard for energy efficiency without giving up comfort or style.
Admonter oiled European oak
The floor is a naturally oiled European oak from Admonter, the Austrian brand Vienna Woods represents, made in Austria. It is finished with a penetrating oil rather than a surface lacquer, so the grain and texture sit right at the surface and every board reads a little differently. Browse the Admonter oiled oak range to see the tones.
Built for an airtight home
The house runs twin-skinned timber framing, a cross-laminated panel floor system, triple-glazed windows and a mechanical ventilation heat-recovery (MVHR) system. In a home that airtight, what the floor gives off matters. The owners wanted very low off-gassing, so they chose an oiled finish over a lacquer, and oiled floors are often specified for airtight, mechanically-ventilated builds for that reason.
An oiled finish is worked into the timber, so a scuff can usually be spot-repaired in place and the floor re-oiled over time rather than fully resanded. See caring for an oiled floor, and if you are weighing the finish, we cover oiled versus lacquered floors.
Where the materials meet
Podocarp Cabinetry built the kitchen and American oak joinery to sit alongside the oiled oak floor, so the timber tones carry through the living spaces rather than fighting each other. It is a small decision that does a lot of the work in a room this pared-back. Photography by Stephen Entwisle, Right Angles.
Order this oiled oak
Get an Admonter oiled European oak sample sent free, and see the finish in your own light before you commit.
See the Admonter range
The full Admonter oiled oak collection, made in Austria and represented in New Zealand by Vienna Woods.
Caring for an oiled floor
How an oiled timber floor is cleaned, refreshed and re-oiled over the years to keep it looking right.
Bring this floor to your Christchurch build
Order a free Admonter oiled oak sample, or talk to us about the right floor for a high-performance home.
