Client Brief

This project is located on a sloping hillside with a rural view South, a harbour view North and neighbouring houses nearby East and West. The client sought a single storey home which includes a family flat for their dependant daughter with a regulatory requirement to share the laundry and services. A separate double garage was requested to be detached from the house with off street parking, entrance court and service court provided. Both the home and flat were to enjoy harbour views north and rural views south with maximum sun in the winter and shade in summer. A large outdoor living area of deck, lawn and garden areas to the perimeter was requested to be sheltered from the prevailing wind. The building was to be clad in cedar with a roof overhang and interiors were to include polished concrete and steel. The client sought cost effective construction and finishes to match a restrictive project budget.

Creative Solution & Design Features

The house was located on a level platform created by cut and fill technique to create a large flat area with privacy from the road below. The horizontal linear form of the building sits on a terrace tucked into the hillside and native planting to the perimeter of the level platform merge the house into the landscape. The entry court, garage, off street parking and service court are located to the rear of the level platform with the house centrally located on the flat area.

The outdoor living area is to the front of the house facing the harbour view. The house and flat are arranged together within a long pavilion under the same dramatic sloping soffit roof form.  The house has a master bedroom with ensuite and bedroom adjacent the open plan living area which includes a concealed pantry, a separate TV lounge, guest bedroom and bathroom. The laundry is located centrally between the house and flat for shared use. The flat consists of two bedrooms, bathroom, and open plan kitchen and living space. Bedrooms and living spaces in both the house and the flat open onto a boardwalk timber deck flush to the lawn.

The large overhanging soffit provides shade in the summer but allows winter sun and solar gain to penetrate through the interiors to the rear of the house and flat. The exterior features floor to ceiling double glazing along the entire North elevation protected by a sloping titan soffit panel with negative details which extend to the custom wood interior ceiling.The view shaft created by window placement also provides natural cross ventilation of the interiors.

Cedar cladding and a colour steel roof were chosen as cost effective exterior cladding materials. Roof and soffit construction was custom designed using inverted timber trusses eliminating the requirement for structural steel. Polished concrete floors and bench top plus a recycled mild steel sheet panelled wall for the in-built wood fire feature in the interiors. Resene eco paints and non-toxic materials were used for a healthy environment for the client and dependent daughter.

Photo Credit - Graham Warman