A contemporary Auckland home emphasising the beauty of simplicity
Written by
03 January 2024
•
4 min read
A home by the ocean was only fitting for Mercer and Mercer Architects' clients — a retired couple with a penchant for sailing. Their old bungalow sat on a narrow, steeply sloping site in Auckland, overlooking docked boats in the Waitematā Harbour. But, with a growing extended family and more contemporary aesthetic preferences, they engaged Mercer and Mercer Architects to design a new residence. Like a good day at sea, the brief called for a calm, bright and breezy response.
"Our clients needed equal amounts of outdoor and indoor living; light, bright and modern finishes; and accommodation for returning family and grandchildren," shares Adam Mercer, Director at Mercer and Mercer Architects. "They were all about simple materials arranged in a modern way."
Slender, sloping sites are often seen as challenging to work with, but with unstifled creativity, the architects saw it as an opportunity. "Tight sites in the narrow back streets of Auckland offer so much to draw from," shares Mercer. "Always there are many styles, materials and aspects to enthuse about and an ever-changing attitude to what can be achieved when rules give way to well-founded ideas."
In this case, the rules were local council guidelines, stipulating street-facing windows for surveillance and a garage no closer than three metres to the sidewalk. "These were major sticking points because the street is to the south, and the site narrows considerably to the north," Mercer explains. Focused 3D modelling and extensive reports soon illustrated the benefits of entry courtyards over upper-storey surveillance to the council, who were persuaded by the well-founded idea.
"Another consideration was overlooking neighbours' backyards on either side," Mercer adds. The terrace uses vertical louvre blades on one side and planting on the other to create an outdoor room experience whilst resolving the privacy issue. "Sloping sites mean changes in level, which can be spectacular. The northwest is a fabulous aspect that we knew would be dramatic because of the setting sun and fabulous long views over lush vegetation below."
On arrival, Reed House's edge sits robustly against the street, with a narrow footpath and a power pole. "We loved this slightly gritty feel to the front of the site, knowing that the away side was lush, sunny and private," Mercer adds.
Its tiered, rectangular form is characterised by translucent cladding, aluminium battens, and just a few windows to create "a light-filled workshop by day, and give the entry court and street front light cast like a lantern at night."
A local rarity, a small courtyard greets arrivals before a glazed entry marks the transition from the public to the private spheres. Inside, the entrance and stairwell are lit from above and flanked by large windows, creating a dance of light and shadow in the centrally located atrium.
The open-plan kitchen, living and dining areas are down a few steps from the atrium. The space is a sanctuary, energised by the height above ground as the site falls away and sweeping sea views extend beyond. Bedrooms lie upstairs, on either side of the atrium, topping the home with private places of refuge. The residence is bordered by pathways leading to a back garden, maximising the building's underside with a spa.
The spatial organisation was driven by a desire to allow daylight to penetrate the centre of the home. "There is more to life than a view, and the atrium allows the home to breathe and delight with art and sculpture and the movement from the ever-changing shadows cast upon the walls."
A minimal material palette used inside and out blurs the transition between outdoor and indoor spaces. Guided by the motto 'clean, light, modern, and white', travertine and white cedar act as a canvas, with complementary brushstrokes of stainless steel, aluminium, and acrylic.
"Our clients' love for modern design, beautiful interiors, and a passion for the outdoor room has manifested itself into a style that is both interior and exterior throughout. Rugged and robust meets with shiny, slick and refined."