By Site Architecture
Drayton Home sits on a crest of Mt Pleasant hill, following the contours of the slope to unveil stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding hills.
Designed for a family, the home features four-bedrooms, an office, and two living spaces, all orientated to capture the ocean views and glimpses of the city skyline over the hills crest.
The programme centres the upper floor around a central courtyard which is sheltered from the easterly, allowing borrowed views through the open plan kitchen, dining and living space. The main entry and gallery overlooks the courtyard on entry, and provides a shaft of light and view, which is revealed once descending from the gallery to the main living spaces.
The second lounge is perched above the courtyard, creating a separate formal space which is connected visually to the main living spaces, and forms the final edge to the courtyard.
The main bedroom is located on the upper floor with a window seat taking advantage of the hill and ocean view, while the remaining 3 bedrooms are separated for the kids on the lower level, each opening onto a balcony, overlooking the sea.
The material palette celebrates raw materials with corten steel, exposed block work and charred larch cladding, referencing the colours and materiality of the surrounding hills.
Spaces designed to make the everyday extraordinary.
Located in Christchurch, Site Architecture is a boutique studio established in 2018. At Site Architecture, we provide professional consideration to all aspects of the design and construction process. As well as commercial projects, we specialise in new residential architecture, renovations and hillside homes.
Don Roy
Don Roy of Site Architecture has had an award-winning career both as a key design collaborator in successful architectural firms and managing his own practice. He is a personable architect who focuses on creating a warm relationship with clients in a trustworthy and authentic way. Don’s vision is that the designer/client relationship should result in a built interpretation of their personality, aspiration, and dreams.
After travelling Europe, Don studied in Wellington in the early 2000s and relished learning design, art and theory. These disciplines continue to inform his architectural design practice. He is drawn to architectural movements such as Bauhaus, De Stijl, Group Architects and the Case Study Houses. Don is inspired by the essence of the conceptual idea shaping the built architectural plan, form, and architectural detailing, which informs his own creative process. He is particularly drawn to complex sites which challenge the design brief to respond in quirky ways.
His fundamental design response is to create a simple conceptual move, which is honestly progressed through the design development, ensuring the key essence is not diluted through over complication. He is drawn to natural materials and seeks to enhance them through clever design. Beautifully crafted objects and a “less is more” approach to living are themes informing his practice. He is intrigued by creating smaller homes which are rich in design, materiality, adaptable and flexible. Recently designing his own home, Don put these theories into practice to design a home that works and feels exactly as he always imagined.