Respecting the sun and wind

Designed by Pat de Pont,  Strachan Group Architects (SGA)

From the architect:

The owners’ name for this home – Zonnebries (Dutch meaning, Sun/Wind) – describes this house as a climate moderator and is a gesture to one of the owner’s family heritage. 

This is a long-term home for a growing family and located on suburban Auckland’s North Shore.

The site has a moderate western slope with an eastern road boundary and a double width right of way to the northern boundary.

The right of way separation from the neighbouring house allows plenty of unobstructed sun and also access via a public walkway to the local beach reserve. 

Two existing trees, a Golden Elm near the south eastern corner and a mature Puriri on the western boundary, provided natural anchor points for the new house.

Living spaces, housed under the main gable, provide options for connection to each other and to the outdoors.

The main gable’s transparency maintains a connection from the street through the east terrace, open-plan kitchen and western deck to the Puriri at the rear of the site. 

A two-storey bedroom wing provides a master suite on the upper level with flexible options for nursery, office, work/media space and children’s spaces on the lower level, again connecting to the rear courtyard and pool area.

The building is, for the most part, cooled and heated passively.

Internally, exposed concrete floors provide thermal mass for passive solar control to moderate the internal temperature  

Doors and windows are protected with shade structures to suit their orientation and manipulated to provide controllable interior temperatures.

The house promotes an awareness of the external environment and a deliberate way of living in that environment. 

Inspiration for the gabled form and exterior materials has been taken from the ‘California Bungalow’ style to help satisfy the council’s heritage criteria for the zone.

Dark stained timber weatherboards and corrugated metal roofing are contrasted with white-washed timber details and shade structures.

Solid timber and veneered plywood is used internally to accentuate the ceiling plane and extensively in the cabinetry and built-in furniture.

Designed by: Pat de Pont, Strachan Group Architects (SGA)

Story by: Trendsideas

Photography by: Simon Devitt