Shannon Farm Central Otago – Luxury Lifestyle Architecture

What is Shannon Farm?

Shannon Farm is a new, park-like rural lifestyle community a few minutes from Cromwell, master-planned across 142 hectares with around 160 lifestyle sections. Lots start from 1,500 m² and extend to 3 ha+, offering genuine room for bespoke homes, gardens and outdoor living. The neighbourhood sits beneath the Pisa Range, with outlooks to the Dunstan and Nevis ranges, and is being released in stages.

Titles are being delivered progressively, with early stages (e.g., Cherry Grove) sold out and subsequent releases such as Orchard View and Double Rock coming to market. The overall vision prioritises generous sections, protected green space and a coherent architectural character guided by development-specific Design Guidelines.

Location

Shannon Farm is set just off Ripponvale Road on the edge of Cromwell and Lake Dunstan, close to everyday amenities yet surrounded by vineyards, orchards and biking trails. From here, Wānaka, Queenstown and Clyde are within an easy drive, putting ski fields, wineries and regional trails on your doorstep year-round.

What we love about Shannon Farm

Scale & breathing room: Sections from 1,500 m² up to 3 ha+ give design freedom rarely found in newer developments.

• Landscape first: The plan responds to Central Otago’s working rural landscape, vineyards, cherry orchards and tawny hills so houses can feel grounded from day one.
  
  
• Masterplanned quality: Staged neighbourhoods and a clear guideline framework support long-term character and value.
  
  
• Connectivity without compromise: Minutes to Cromwell’s services and Lake Dunstan, while regional destinations remain close for work and play.
  
  

Selecting a site at Shannon Farm (Nala’s quick guide)

•  Orientation & Sun — Prioritise northerly aspects for winter warmth and bright interiors; tune roof overhangs, glazing ratios and external shading for summer comfort.
• Views & Privacy — Elevated sites capture long views to the Pisa/Dunstan/Nevis ranges; use courtyard planning, planting berms and window placement to balance aspect with privacy and shelter.
• Topography & Access — Rolling landforms suit pavilion arrangements and subtle level changes that choreograph entries, garaging and outdoor rooms without heavy earthworks.
• Approvals & Controls — Shannon Farm uses development-specific Design Guidelines alongside Central Otago District Plan provisions (Rural Resource Area 5). Early alignment streamlines approvals and protects design intent.
  
  

Neighbourhood & Masterplan

The masterplan will ultimately comprise five neighbourhoods, Cherry Grove, Village Green, Orchard View, Double Rock and Stella Ridge, all released in stages.
Double Rock, on the western side above Ripponvale Road, blends lower and elevated sections ranging from ~1,566 m² to ~8,300 m² and looks east over Cromwell and the historic gorges.

Design Guidelines

Shannon Farm’s Design Guidelines (latest published updates October 2023 and February 2024) set expectations for building form, height, materials/colours, landscape integration and fencing.

They’re intended to protect value and ensure a cohesive, place-responsive outcome—drawing on Central Otago’s rural vernacular while allowing architectural individuality.

How Nala Studio Architects can help at Shannon Farm

• Site-finding & due diligence: Before you purchase, we can compare shortlist sections for sun paths, viewshafts, shelter, access and servicing, then test fast massing options against the Design Guidelines and relevant District Plan controls, so you buy with confidence.
• New luxury homes - We craft contemporary, landscape-led homes that feel at home in Central Otago. Passive-solar planning, high-performance envelopes, and an honest palette of timber, schist and refined metalwork. We engage early with the guideline reviewers and CODC to keep consenting smooth.
• Consenting & delivery: We prepare architectural submissions, coordinate planning/landscape/engineering inputs and manage CODC resource and building consents through to tender and site observation, ensuring the built result matches the vision.

For clients seeking space, sun and serenity with Central Otago’s lifestyle on tap, Shannon Farm is compelling: large lots, long views, and a framework that rewards quality architecture. Whether you’re designing new, renovating or extending, or choosing the right site, Nala Studio Architects will guide you from feasibility to consented drawings, delivering a bespoke home that belongs to Shannon Farm and belongs to you.