Explore how Viblock fluted concrete responds to landscape, light, and climate.
At Red Stag Rise in Wānaka, fluted concrete does what it does best — it grounds a home in its landscape, responds to strong light, and holds up through Central Otago’s demanding seasons.
Designed by Reign Architecture and built by Bespoke Builds and bricks installed by Masonry Worx, the home sits within a powerful Central Otago setting. Mountain views, open sky and a neighbouring deer farm all shape the experience of the site. Concrete was central to the brief from the start — the homeowner was drawn to its texture, presence and solid feel.
Across the project, Viblock’s fluted products carry that material intent from the entrance gate through to the internal walls. It’s a strong example of how fluted concrete can respond to landscape, light and climate with craft, precision and care.
Project by Reign Architecture | Build by Bespoke Builds | Installer Masonry Worx | Featured Products: 20 Series Fluted Structural and 390 Fluted Brick in Carbon Black | Photography Simon Larkin
Project by Reign Architecture | Build by Bespoke Builds | Installer Masonry Worx | Photography Simon Larkin
Why Fluted Concrete Works in Strong Landscapes
In a place like Wānaka, Queenstown or Central Otago, materials need to work hard. The landscape is big, the light is strong, and the seasons bring real variation. A wall needs to do more than fill a gap — it needs to hold its own and improve over time.
Fluted concrete does this through shadow and rhythm. The repeated vertical profile changes the way light moves across a surface. In softer light, the texture reads as calm and understated. In stronger sun, the grooves create deeper shadow and sharper definition. As the day moves, the wall moves with it.
This is one reason the treatment works so well in contemporary architecture. It adds depth without adding clutter and gives designers a way to introduce texture while keeping the overall material palette clean and restrained.
Our 390 Fluted Brick is one of our most popular products. With colour mixed through the concrete and natural variation from the aggregate, the finish has real depth — not just surface-level uniformity. The profile brings order and precision to a wall, while the material itself adds character and subtle tonal movement.
Project by Reign Architecture | Build by Bespoke Builds | Installer Masonry Worx | Photography Simon Larkin
Red Stag Rise: One Texture, Two Applications
At Red Stag Rise, the strength of the fluted treatment comes through in how it moves across different parts of the project.
The entrance gate uses 20 Series Fluted Structural blocks. Here, the material has presence and weight — it’s the first architectural encounter with the home, and it sets up a sense of permanence before you move further into the site.
Elsewhere, including internal feature walls, the project uses 390 Fluted Brick. This carries the same textured language into more intimate parts of the home, where the material is regularly seen and experienced up close.
The distinction matters. Our 20 Series Fluted Structural blocks give the entrance gate strength and a clear architectural presence. Our 390 Fluted Brick allows the same texture to continue in cladding and internal wall applications where a non-structural format is the better fit.
Together, they show how one consistent material language can run through a project without forcing the same product into every situation. The result is a home where the material choices feel connected from the gateway through to the internal walls.
Project by Reign Architecture | Build by Bespoke Builds | Installer Masonry Worx | Featured Products: 20 Series Fluted Structural and 390 Fluted Brick in Carbon Black | Photography Simon Larkin
How Fluted Concrete Responds to Climate
A building shaped by place needs to respond to more than the view. In Wānaka, homes experience hot summers, cold winters, and significant daily temperature shifts. Material choices need to support comfort, durability and long-term performance.
Concrete has thermal mass — it absorbs, stores and releases heat energy. Used well, thermal mass is an important passive design consideration that helps reduce internal temperature fluctuations when properly integrated with orientation, insulation and solar gain.
At Red Stag Rise, performance is resolved through the whole building system. Exposed concrete, structural insulated panels and careful detailing work together to create a robust thermal envelope, helping the home stay comfortable through Wānaka’s seasonal extremes.
Fluted concrete contributes in two ways: visually, through texture, shadow and material depth; and practically, through the durability and thermal mass of concrete itself. That makes it especially relevant for New Zealand homes and workplaces where climate is part of everyday life.
Installation was done by Tim White from Masonry Worx. Reflecting on the project, Tim says:
“As with any stack bond block job, designing the building to block module makes the installation much easier, reducing complications and cuts on site. Reign architects did a great job working sizing early in the process, making our job as installers easier. Raking the perps joints, giving a negative detail for the fluted blocks and bricks, really makes the blocks stand out.”
Structural Blocks and Fluted Bricks: Each One Does a Job
One of the strengths of our fluted range is that the same finish is available across different product formats, so you can carry a consistent look through a project without compromising on what each wall needs to do. It is important to note the flute profile is different for the brick and block but pair well when not directly stacked together.
390 Fluted Brick is well suited to architectural cladding and feature walls, including interior applications where the texture is experienced up close. It brings depth and rhythm to walls while keeping the surface clean and considered.
20 Series Fluted Structural blocks are suited to more substantial built elements, where the wall needs strength and long-term durability as part of the construction system.
Red Stag Rise brings these two formats together clearly. The entrance gate uses fluted structural blocks; the home and internal walls use 390 Fluted Brick. The finish stays consistent, while each product does the job it’s best suited to.
Central Otago Material, National Relevance
The natural aggregates we source from Central Otago give our concrete products a clear material origin. This is a region shaped by exposed geology, strong light and hard-working landscapes — and that character carries through in the tone, texture and natural variation of the finished product.
For architects, builders and homeowners across Aotearoa, that means a New Zealand-made product with real material depth, backed by local knowledge, reliable supply and practical installation guidance. The finish has character through the material itself — not just on the surface.
Project Bannockburn Hills | Installer Masonry Worx | Featured Products: 20 Series Fluted in Charcoal | Photography Hamish Storey
Project Bannockburn Hills | Installer Masonry Worx | Featured Products: 20 Series Fluted in Charcoal | Photography Hamish Storey
How Architects Are Using Fluted Concrete Across New Zealand
Architects are specifying fluted concrete in different ways depending on the site, the scale of the project and the role the wall needs to play.
Cromwell Residence — Fluted blocks bring depth and shadow to a home shaped by Central Otago’s raw landscape and strong climate. The concrete adds durability and resilience, while the fluted profile gives the walls texture without overcomplicating the material palette.
Project by Immersion Architecture | Build by Hudson Builders Wanaka | Featured Products 20 Series Fluted Structural | Photography Future Studios
Terrace House, West Meadows, Wānaka — Fluted concrete block is paired with cedar and dark steel. The stepped pavilions follow the slope of the land, and the material palette gives the home a calm, settled presence in its alpine setting.
Threefold Studio, Sydenham, Christchurch — Fluted concrete blocks, cedar and corten steel transform a former warehouse into a textured, welcoming workplace. The material combination brings rhythm, warmth and durability to an urban setting.
Across each of these projects, the appeal isn’t just the profile itself — it’s the way it works with other materials, responds to light conditions and holds up with long-term use.
Choosing the Right Fluted Concrete Format
The decision between fluted bricks and fluted structural blocks starts with what the wall needs to do.
Where the wall is primarily a cladding or feature element, 390 Fluted Brick brings texture, depth and a consistent architectural finish across exterior and interior applications.
Where the wall has a more substantial construction role, 20 Series Fluted Structural blocks let the same fluted treatment become part of the built form itself.
For best results, these decisions are worth making early — alongside colour, sealing, installation guidance and the wider performance strategy for the building. Our team is happy to help you work through the options.
Texture, Performance, and Place
Fluted concrete has become a strong choice in contemporary New Zealand architecture because it does several things at once.
It adds visual interest to restrained material palettes. It responds to changing light. It supports durable construction. It delivers the thermal mass benefits of concrete. And it can move across different applications — from structural walls to architectural cladding — without losing the clarity of the finish.
For architects, builders and homeowners looking to create New Zealand buildings with presence, performance and a clear sense of place, our fluted bricks and structural blocks offer a simple proposition: crafted texture, made with precision, and backed by care from design through to delivery.
Thinking about fluted concrete for your next project?
Explore our 390 Fluted Brick and 20 Series Fluted Structural block ranges, or get in touch with the Viblock team for guidance on colour, application and specification. We’d love to help you find the right product for the right place.
Call us on 0800 842 562 or contact us through our website.
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