Rising to the occasion

Views, privacy and maximised internal volumes were achieved in this house which also reflects the owner's involvement in the timber trade

Black framed sliders stack back to make indoors

The home's gabled form allowed the architects to

At night the transparent volume shows how views

The discreet entry to the tall, naturally clad

In a home that celebrates wood, the front

The soaring timber ceiling made possible by the

As well as celebrating the owner's business in

Seamless – with white being swapped for wood,

The home creates a great balance between complete

Timber cladding and glimpsed interior wood ceiling –

Glass, chrome and mosaics make for a clean,

Designed by Studio2 Architects

From the architects:

Project description

The crafting of this multi-generational retreat was a continuation of the journey we went on with the owners in their Auckland home.

We wanted to do things uniquely for them and to reflect one owner’s involvement in the timber business and also his designer son’s own furniture pieces.

The long-term connection has created a relationship and trust.

You really want to be able to relate to owners and have an informed critique with them so they are learning and you are learning what they want.

It’s about them, not about us, but at the same time it’s about creating something that is the best it can be.

Housing at The Mount is high density, so from an architectural perspective we wanted to maximise the outdoor connection to the views – the harbour in one direction and The Mount in the other.

And we needed to create privacy to the neighbouring properties, which are very close to the boundary.

The gabled form allowed us to maximise internal volume and create elevation to the views.

The kitchen connects to a covered terrace to the street via large sliding doors – in fact, the indoor kitchen flows directly out to an outdoor barbecue, interrupted only by the slotted space provided for the intersecting sliders.

There are different moments of delight throughout and within each space.

The entry sits on the side of the house and is quite crafted.

There’s a sense of arrival – you are not taken past the bedrooms; only the family and guests are given that access.

Instead, you go up the stairs and through the beautiful kitchen and you look east to the loggia space or west to the harbour.

We pushed pretty hard with the detail and Kevin Garrity – an amazing builder – put it all together. The flooring detail relates to the negative detailing of the ceiling and walls.

There’s always a bit of art in architecture if you want it to be there.

I love there to be some joy in the way we craft our buildings.

There’s longevity in the design and material selection, which I would like to think would still be relevant in 10, 15 or 20 years’ time.