Projected outlook

A contemporary new home should be a joy to move into, and bring ongoing pleasure as years even generations roll by. To ensure this is the case, the design needs to work well on a number of levels these include flexibility of interiors, enduring aesthetics, and a strong focus on sustainability.

Designer Carlton Richards has taken this multifaceted concept to heart in his range of Modform show homes. The residence featured here is called Harakeke, the Maori word for flax, and is reflective of flax's strong, linear makeup.

"Everything in Harakeke is designed to optimise the lifestyle of the occupants and longevity of the residence," says Richards. "For a start, the home has a strong connection to its environment. The north-facing facade, and to a lesser extent the south face as well, is a wall of windows. Floor-to-ceiling sliders roll back to bring the outdoors into the heart of the home."

The entire design responds to an attractive, natural setting. In this show home, for example, the carpet echoes the grass and flaxes outside in terms of both colour and texture.

Giant walls of glass are part of Harakeke's indoor-outdoor appeal, as are the distinctive cantilevered roof elements. These are stepped out to various lengths, providing shade for the decking.

As well as offering indoor-outdoor versatility, the interiors have extensive flexibility in their own right. Essentially, the central area of the house is a run of open-plan living spaces, with three bedrooms, including an oversized master suite, forming a wing at one end, and a study and informal living area bookending the home at the other. Cavity sliders can separate each of these wings, providing acoustically and thermally efficient partitions.

With all partitions drawn back, the expansive interiors are an entertainer's dream, complete with a designer kitchen standing at the centre of the space. However, when a child's homework has priority, the study, say, can be closed off from the rest of the household.

Energy efficiency and sustainability are also central to the design of this high-end show home. The cantilevered clerestory roof not only shades outdoor areas and decks but also filters the sun into the interior as it is needed. The overhangs keep the hot midday sun at bay in summer, and admit the milder angled rays in the winter months, and in the morning and evening. Strategically set soffits further the penetration of sunlight at optimum times of the day.

The home is built on a concrete base with concrete walls, creating a thermal mass that is slow to heat and slow to cool down. The house absorbs warmth during the day, releasing it into the interiors at night.

To optimise heat control, all windows are double-glazed.

Sustainability in terms of materials is intrinsic to the Modform design. Built in concrete, steel and glass, the house is also low maintenance.

The rich timber floor that covers the run of public spaces is actually a French oak veneer seven millimetres thick. As well as using minimal amounts of a precious resource, the layer of veneer, fixed to sustainable, softwood floorboards beneath, avoids warping that can occur with solid hardwood boards.

In keeping with this eco-friendly focus, all paints and lacquers used in Harakeke are certified low odour, with zero emissions.

Another advantage for owners of this residence, or other homes in the Modform range, is that they are designed to walk straight into and enjoy. This home features built-in wardrobes, kitchen cabinetry and islands, as well as custom furniture solutions.

Richards even suggests local artworks to new owners selecting pieces appropriate to the home, and to the highly visible surroundings.

Story by: Charles Moxham