Bay House
Castor Bay, Auckland
Located at Castor Bay on Auckland’s North Shore, the dark box like forms of Bay House stretch and weave along the elevated south-facing site.
Recessed into the bank, the concrete basement is fractured by a glass roofed atrium space that allows sun and natural light to permeate deep within the building footprint. Guests are welcomed into this atrium space by the sound of the cascading pond in the garden above, circulating up through the atrium onto a timber planked bridge which connects the living areas either side.
Working from home is accommodated by two flexible and adaptive offices that open onto the entry atrium by large sliding doors, a space that cleverly transforms from the domestic to a semi-public scale. In contrast, the private master suite ascends far above on the upper level, accessed from the mid-level living areas that flow out onto a series of sheltered northern terraces, hunkered into the bank above. Roofs are tilted and lifted, reaching to the sun for passive solar design. Pohutukawas overhang, their silhouettes playful against the passing sky.
A rigorous deployment of the material palette to both the interior and exterior has resulted in a visually recessive home using Resene Hackett Black wood stain as the primary base and Rockcote Natural Grey plaster, contrasted by an interior full of warmth and texture with ply finished in Resene Aquaclear satin and timber ceilings finished in Resene Qristal Clear Poly-Satin. The horizontal exterior cladding is a direct reference to the striated sandstone cliffs that flank either side of the small bay. The black cladding deconstructs to make way for varied extensive northern glazing, providing transparency through to the southern views.
The challenge lay in creating a private family home for four within a compact suburban context accessed by a shared driveway. Framed apertures project the occupants’ attention towards the view of Castor Bay and the cityscape beyond, while privacy screens are artfully curated to omit neighbours and instead focus attention inward or across the series of connecting spaces.
Architectural specifier: SGA Ltd – Strachan Group Architects
Building contractor: Bonham Builders and Management Ltd
Photographer: Simon Devitt
Project: Resene Total Colour Awards 2018