The form of this house has been determined by the constraints of the site. The house is sited in Glendowie between a natural edge created by the steep bush clad cliff that rolls down to Karaka Bay and the sinuous road that the house fronts onto. The kink in the road outside the house is reflected in the boundary and the front yard setback line for the house. In order to maximise the site the house has been built right up to this front yard setback line and also reinforces the kink.

A dark stained veil of variegated cedar wraps and protects the front of the house from the busy road that it fronts onto. The screen also performs the function of masking the stepped form of the building on the southern elevation, which is the result of the height to boundary constraints.

Two cut-outs or recesses in this kinked frontage allow entry into the building. One recess is for the garage door and other is for the front entry which is tucked away hidden from view behind the screen to allow privacy but also to shelter the entry from the south westerly wind.

Frosted glass provides privacy at the front of the house but still allows western light to penetrate through the building. The shadow of the timber screens frayed edges through the frosted glass provides a beautiful silhouette with the afternoon light.

An open riser timber and steel stair winds up through a triple height space from the garage level to the main living level and then on up to another two levels. Your view of the stair is filtered through layers of a stainless steel mesh screen hanging from the ceiling between the stairs and a dark stained timber screen.

The lower living level opens out onto a honed concrete terrace area with views of Browns Island and Karaka Bay.

AWARDS

Home New Zealand, Home of the Year 2008 - Finalist
NZIA Auckland Residential Architecture Award 2010