What are Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)? Structural insulated panels (SIPs) are prefabricated building panels that can be used in place of conventional timber framing and insulation for the floors, walls and roof of a building. They combine a structural skin and insulation in one airtight panel. SIPs are (generally) 10 - 20cm [...]
Habitat's crowning glory is its roof - a complex arrangement of planes and slopes that snake the length of the site. The second storey is defined by the front apex, helping it nestle into the trees, before sloping down over the garage and carport. Enjoy our latest site photos, including a video at the [...]
Insulation not only keeps heat in during the winter months, it also keeps heat out during the summer months. It is a crucial aspect to get right when designing a new home or renovation - and a significant part of our design process. Insulation essentially limits temperature transfer between outside and inside. A large [...]
Habitat's exterior form is almost complete now, with the cladding and windows nearly all installed. Angular and sleek, its dark silhouette never fails to coax a second glance when you pass by. Here are our latest update photos from the site. Looking through the neighbouring garden, the slanting peak of Habitat [...]
The idea for our 'Perspective' journal came from reflecting on experiences and topics that reoccur regularly in our everyday practice. The kinds of topics that are common knowledge amongst 'us' here in our office, but are unknown and sometimes scary concepts for our clients. Designing and building a home can be a daunting [...]
Like any team working within a dynamic and creative industry, we love watching and following the latest evolutions of design style. Architectural design influences can be both short lived or long lasting along with an on ongoing melding of retro influences in modern design. When it comes to Mackit's bespoke designs, we always incorporate [...]
Greytown has a strong sense of community and belonging, that is unique to out-of-city living; we know our neighbours and can't go anywhere local without a friendly hello to those we recognise, and even those we don't. Greytown, and the Wairarapa, is also an incredibly house and heritage proud community that has a strong [...]
Back in February we wrote a post revealing the exterior design, as well as our design direction and brief for our creation of Mackit Habitat. This included showcasing the form of Habitat with some photo realistic exterior renders that we produced in-house. Since then we have explored and chosen our materials and specifications for all [...]
The weather is slowly (albeit slightly inconsistently!) warming up which has provided us with an ideal setting for the construction of the second storey of Mackit Habitat. Not only will the second storey capture the beautiful view to the Tararua ranges, it will provide a private master bedroom retreat with ensuite and walk in wardrobe, [...]
The floor is down so next comes the walls! While our last update showed the completed subfloor structure and a portion of flooring laid in the downstairs bathroom, progress has been swift and we can now walk the entire lower floor of Habitat! Being able to experience the full scale of the dwelling is thrilling, [...]
