Light Mine
By Crosson Architects
This house is an exploration of strong sculptural forms referencing the mine shafts of the long-abandoned gold mines within the surrounds of the once wealthy historical gold mining town. Here, the shafts are inverted, mining the sunshine and starlight, extending into the sky as opposed to the earth. Within the strategically placed off-grid shafts drama is created, and time is registered as the sun moves around the house.
The social organisation of the plan is relaxed and loose, appropriate for retreat, and laid out as a series of parts able to either be lived in privately and independently or opened up to connect the buildings and enliven the outdoor space between.
Varying heights and positions of the shafts break up the form on the ridgeline establishing an identity and interest. The house steps forward and back, the plan mapping the movement of the sun. Deep overhangs provide protection from the summer sun and entry of the winter sun. The decks fore and aft allow spatial extension into the landscape.
The cladding is reclaimed totara from a swamp, reused as a rainscreen. This timber, imbued with the colours of the coast, is a contrast to the rich and highly crafted light timber interior.
HOME Magazine / Home of the Year Winner 2020
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Light Mine
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Light Mine
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About the
Professional
Crosson Architects is an Auckland based architectural practice with an exceptional portfolio of work. Past projects include residential, commercial, institutional, masterplanning and urban design developments. Ken Crosson and his team have won numerous architectural awards locally and internationally with work being regularly published here and around the world.
Our commitment to providing a superior service to our clients is extended with membership in Designgroup New Zealand, enabling larger scale projects to be undertaken, drawing on a range of resources and expertise from partnering practices. We strive for the highest standards of client service, design and documentation. At the completion of each project, the aim is to have achieved a building that is beyond the client's expectations. We believe good design will produce sustainable, functional and dramatic spaces and buildings that have an enduring quality over time.
Each project is analysed for its special requirements and opportunities: the end result being not a preconceived idea, but a combination of the client's requirements and desires, a response to the site and the budget. Critical consideration is given to the project's specific environmental and historical context, and to the appropriate use of materials and construction methods.
At the heart of the process is the collaboration between the client and the architect. At Crosson Architects we create – and the process is vigorous and robust, rich and rewarding. Amongst other elements, we consider the physical, psychological and spiritual – achieving an outcome that is unique and life-enhancing.
We would love to offer you the opportunity to realise your dream with Ken and the team at Crosson Architects.