An opportunity to create a home uniquely tailored to our clients, that reflects who they are and the life they lead together.
This home was designed for a beautiful young family who had outgrown their current home, and longed for a space that would allow them to exercise their generous spirit. They engaged our services after the first visit to their site – and we were able to advise them of its potential before they secured the purchase.
Uniquely close to town yet rural, the large site was the starting point to designing the large family home. Its North West aspect, while offering incredible views to the Tararua Ranges, leaves it hugely exposed to the prevailing NW wind. With minimal surrounding shelter, a conventional design was not going to cut it in these exposed conditions. The solution was to design a building with a series of angled pop outs along its long western face. These not only give shelter from both sun and wind, but the careful placement of glazing means that views to the north aren’t blocked – even at the south-western end of the home.
It needs to sit quietly on the land – without “shouting”.
From the road, the eastern face of the house will appear a low-slung dark silhouette, gently and effortlessly tapering out at each end. A combination of dark plaster and dark cedar form the shell and inner skin of the building. The folded origami-like roof echoes the ranges, and assists in blending the house into the gently undulating landscape.
The private master suite will enjoy spectacular views to the NW, while the ensuite, which forms the dramatic northern point of the building, will also capture views to the eastern hills.
The sophisticated blonde oak kitchen forms the heart of the home, surrounded by a dining area, and living rooms on either side. These enter out to either North, or West orientated outdoor areas, one of which is fully covered, with sliding slat screens for extra wind protection, and a built-in outdoor kitchen. The pool enjoys shelter from the western end of the house. At the south-eastern corner of the house, a semi-self contained wing, connected to the main space by a rumpus/family room, allows for longer-term guests to be comfortably accommodated. Extensive work has gone in to designing state-of-the-art automated ‘Smart Home’ features, as well as multiple other heating, cooling and ventilation systems, and solar power.
With an emphasis on family life and creating a home that will work both now, and in the future, the design has cohesively developed to allow for a generous and multi-faceted family base. We are currently completing construction drawings for this unique home, with building scheduled to start in early 2018.
Make the most of the views where possible and seamlessly connect spaces.
The elongated form allows for the home to be naturally separated into different areas, with the northern half comprising of four bedrooms, bathrooms and an office.
