CREATIVE SPACE

The challenge of building a home on an awkwardly shaped or difficult site can provide an opportunity for the architect to come up with a refreshingly innovative architectural solution.

In designing the house featured here, architects Darren Jessop and Mike Roulston had to contend with a narrow site that sloped steeply away from the road, down to the edge of a lake.

"The owners wanted a family home, and when we looked at their needs, it was clear the house would be fairly large. Because of the topography of the land, we also realised the house would have to be on several levels. This gave us the opportunity to excavate, making the main living level much larger," says Jessop.

By excavating and spreading the building down the slope and across four overlapping levels, the architect was able to fit a large, 746m² house onto this tight site.

At street level are the entrance lobby, studio and gymnasium. A staircase leads up to a music room and roof terrace, while another goes down to the living areas and bedrooms.

The owners say they wanted a home that was a bit different. They didn't want a regular roof, and liked the architect's suggestion of curving it.

Curves on the side walls and roofs on two of the pavilions enabled the building to be as wide as possible on the narrow site and still conform to the local council's by-laws.

The curves are constructed rather like the hull of a boat. They are formed from ribs of timber overlaid with ply and finished on the outside in sheets of zinc. On the inside walls, sheets of plasterboard have been bent around the curves, then finished using an Interplast plaster system, which is polished to produce a reflective shine.

As well as maximising the site, the design also ensures views of the lake are enjoyed from most rooms in the house.

"The lounge area on the lake side of this space has large windows, ensuring the pohutukawa trees and the water are clearly visible from the internal courtyard," says Jessop.

Story by: Trendsideas