Boom town

One of the driving forces behind much of the social change over the past 50 years has been the effect of the baby boomers those people born in the population surge that took place in the decade after World War II.

The types of homes built in the intervening decades reflect their experiences. Now in their 40s and 50s, their lifestyles are still a major influence.

The house on these pages is a good illustration of how architects and designers can meet the current needs of this generation.

The owners are one of a growing number of business people who work from home, but they didn't want the house to look like an office. They did, however, expect the business to expand, and so needed to plan for staff in the future.

Another aspect of life for baby boomers is that their children are living at home for longer, so flexible space planning was a must.

"All areas of the house had to be well integrated, but we wanted an arrangement that would allow us ultimate flexibility," says the one of the owners.

Flexibility also meant having a layout that could be adapted to hold functions for family or business.

Architect Ian Athfield's design effectively has four storeys, but because the building steps down the slope of the site, there is level access to three of these.

From the outside, he has divided the house into three sections marked by the use of different materials.

"The owners wanted a solid-looking building," he says. "We had used zinc and Hinuera stone on other recent projects and so decided to use them again here."

The office and main bedroom wing is clad in zinc panels, while the Hinuera stone was used for the structure containing the kitchen, dining and living areas. Linking these two wings is a double-height, glazed structure, which contains some living spaces.

Although distinct from the outside, the sections don't strictly relate to distinct functions on the inside.

"The house isn't split into office, living and bedroom zones," says the homeowner. "There are bedrooms and bathrooms on each level, giving us various options for the present and the future."

For the interior, wooden floors, tiles and paving were selected for their durability and easy maintenance, while the furniture includes classic pieces with minimal lines.

Story by: Trendsideas