By Architektur
The owners of this property had already begun living in an old two-storey house, so had very particular requirement for certain spaces relative to views and orientations, which were well thought out. This made designing the house a pleasure as designer and client shared an understanding of the circumstances.
The slope of the sight and the location of a large protected pohutukawa tree (which dominates the street-site of the property) meant the basement garaging was the obvious solution.
The clients wanted some separation from their teenage children so the first floor became a master suite, including bedroom, walk-in wardrobe, ensuite, lounge and his and her studies. The children’s bedrooms are on the ground floor, on the same level as the main living areas, kitchen and outside decks around the pool.
Some of the most striking features of the exterior of the house are the louvers – horizontal, elliptical aluminium blades on the street side, with softer vertical cedar-timber fins on the north-west elevation. These have been designed to allow shading at particular times of day and year and create privacy as well as interest o the facades.
A sand-coloured blockwork base grounds the house, while the cedar clad top storey hovers above, offering both sheltered outdoor living below and a contrast of materiality. The colour palate is in keeping with its beachside location, just two houses back from Takapuna Beach.
Photo Credit: The Images Publishing Group
Architektur is an Architecture firm based in Auckland, creating beautiful homes for smart and modern family living.
Attention to detail from design to building completion.
By getting the design just right Architektur Homes are creating beautiful homes for smart and modern family living.
After 15 years gaining experience with some of the best architects in New Zealand, I formed the company Architektur Ltd. The name was inspired by the period of time that I worked with architects in northern Switzerland.
From 2003 to 2013 I delivered projects for a variety of clients and budgets. I also completed a Masters Degree in Urban Design. During this time I renovated several homes, including major internal and external alterations, as well as subdividing and building new homes on new sites. Needing a further challenge between 2013 and 2018, I decided to enter the development market. Buying sites that were zoned for higher density. I project managed the development process from start to finish including employing the builder and sub-contractors directly, subdivision, consents,marketing and sales.
The experience has given me a deep insight into the entire development process, and allowed my business to grow whilst still keeping my hand in ‘pure’ architectural home design work through Architektur Ltd. One of my latest high density projects was a block of 14 studio units.
I have many contacts in the building world from engineers to town planners that I can highly recommend to my clients. Working from home means I have low overheads. Not only does this low overhead equate to lower architectural fees for you, it also means that you have one point of contact, and nothing gets lost in translation. I have a wealth of experience in all aspects of the Architecture, Construction & Development process and can be involved as much or as little as you need, based on your circumstances.
I look forward to hearing about your dreams, be it a new home, a bach or perhaps a renovation or alteration. Being a small NZ owned business means I value the personal touch and am happy to take on smaller jobs, perhaps overlooked or over-charged by larger firms.