Kauri House

Designed for a professional couple with young children. Looking to put down roots, having secured a beautiful site on which to build their dream home. The brief called for a site-specific home that maximised views, sun and connection to landscape. The house needed to be comfortable with well-considered environmental design, good flow and generous outdoor living. The owners wanted simple clean lines and modern design.

The gently sloping, north facing site receives all day sun. With stunning views over the surrounding quintessential Northland pastoral landscape. The site sits above a valley with bush clad foothills. A meandering stream and waterfall skirt to eastern edge of the site. Cold winter winds prevail from the south west.

Conceived as three interlinked forms set around a pool court. The first and most privileged form, the living pavilion, maximises primary views to the northwest. The second form, the sleeping wing, contains bedrooms, bathroom, office and snug. The third form, the garage, is positioned to buffer the house from the southwest. The forms are linked with a flat roofed entry/circulation space.

The living and sleeping wings utilise passive solar design. Positioned to the north with pitching roofs calculated to allow winter sun, but exclude summer sun. The living pavilion becomes the ‘thermal engine’ for the house storing heat from the winter sun in its thermal mass and releasing it slowly over a 24–48-hour cycle. Automatic clerestory windows allow summer passive stack ventilation and cooling. The garage roof pitches back north to maximise PV solar installation efficiency.

The living pavilion is able to be completely opened up in summer, becoming an outdoor room. With open plan kitchen, dining and sitting. A scullery and laundry are tucked discretely behind. Built-in joinery and window seat maximise use. Living spaces flow directly to a covered outdoor area with fire, decks and the pool court. The master bedroom is positioned for privacy, while maintaining views and connection to the pool. The remaining bedrooms are more private with outdoor connection. A snug set away from the main living area provides a welcome second living space. The pool court contains an outdoor shower and concealed outdoor WC.

Primarily clad in vertical, ABODO Vulcan thermally modified timber cladding with ‘Patina’ finish. Offset with vertical, Colorsteel ‘Kahu’ profiled metal cladding prefinished in ‘Tidaldrift Matte’. Both exterior finishes chosen for their natural weathering appearance and low maintenance. The interior features polished concrete floors, Cedar lined feature ceiling, Cedar screen and White Oak joinery. Paint finished plasterboard is used to offset the warmth of the timber.

Environmental credentials include; new generation aluminium joinery and high performance double glazing, high levels of thermal insulation (140mm walls), high levels of thermal mass for passive solar energy storage, natural ventilation strategies (cross and stack ventilation), material/cladding selection (Environmental Choice), extensive use of timber and engineered wood products, secondary onsite wastewater treatment, potable water collection and reticulation, heat pump water heating and PV solar installation.