By Bossley Architects
Colin McCahon was one of New Zealands premier 20th century painters. This artist's residency is located on the site adjacent to the cottage in which the McCahon family lived with his family and painted during a seminal period of his career in the 1950's. It accommodates national and international recipients of scholarships and operates in conjunction with a museum in the original cottage. The new building is designed in two parts, one containing the studio and the other the residence. Its complex form is carefully designed to sit between the many trees (mainly kauri) on the site, which are especially significant given the role they played in the paintings McCahon produced in his shift towards abstraction.
The residence nestles against the land, while the studio towers amongst the trees on light steel framing. The structure is carefully designed to minimise interference to trees and site.
Bossley Architects is a multidisciplinary Architecture and Interior Design practice based in Tamaki Makaurau Auckland, creating architecture to lift the spirit. The practice is based on the belief that innovative yet practical design is essential for the production of good buildings and spaces, and that the best buildings spring from an open and enthusiastic collaboration between architect, client and consultants.
We have designed a wide range of projects including commercial, institutional and residential, and have amassed special expertise in the field of art galleries and museums, residential and the restaurant/entertainment sector.
Whilst being very much design focused, the practice has an overriding interest in the pragmatics and feasibility of construction. There is considerable hands-on building experience amongst the personnel, and buildings are carefully detailed with construction methods in mind.