at one with nature
The clients presented a brief which envisaged ‘blades through and with the land’.
Working with the land and not against it became a key principle for the project and for the architect; this informed a building with clean lines which inserted itself into the land and merged with the landscape.
The form was guided by simple principles and specific site constraints. The clients sought spaces which were positive and negative, light and dark and that would bring drama, delight, joy and experience. The building was thus conceived as a rendered block base beneath a semi-glass box under a slim flat roof.
From initially arriving down the driveway through to traversing into the main living spaces, the journey is crafted through the play of dark and light spaces, change in materiality and precisely oriented views of the coast to the east and encompassing valley.
The house has been designed to have outlooks on both on the east and the west. The ground floor contains a master bedroom with an ensuite, a double garage, home offices, two bedrooms and a bathroom. The upper floor contains the main living spaces which open out to an eastern and western outdoor terrace. The western outdoor terrace features a pool, barbeque and dining area. The outdoor-indoor-outdoor arrangement gives the occupants the flexibility of use throughout the day, as well as usability in various weather conditions.
The palette of materials is minimalistic in and out; the exterior of the house is clad in dark stained cedar in Wood-X Foundry and black anodized aluminium joinery, and the interior features a polished concrete slab, natural oak walls and ceilings and black steel. This blends the home into the native flora of the kanuka and the natural landscape.
Internally, the colours are earthy downstairs, with Resene Quarter Silver Chalice and Resene Nevada, providing a nest like retreat away from the dynamic of the upstairs drama, with a combination of natural timber, polished concrete and Resene Alabaster. The interior is painted in Resene Zylone Sheen low sheen waterborne paint, Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen and Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel. Interior doors are finished in Resene Aquaclear to celebrate the beauty of the timber.
The Resene natural colours allow a connection with the limited palette and the natural materials blend to create a harmony within the experience of the building.
Building contractor: Steve Haycock Construction Ltd
Photographer: Studio2 Architects
Project: Resene Total Colour Awards 2019