High performance in a barn-style home

Written by

07 May 2022

 • 

5 min read

banner
On a mission to create a healthy home without costing the earth, this architect's rural new build has a warm heart that's fully certified.
The house exterior is Resene Scoria. “It's beautiful. When it’s really sunny it’s a warm cherry red, but when it's a bit more overcast, it's got that sort of rusty brown look to it. It informed our material choices inside as well.”
The rope light in the kitchen is by Superlux, chosen to complement the high ceilings. “Because we've got quite a small footprint, we’re using heights to create space,” says Joseph. The kitchen is gradually being completed as time and budget permits.
The concrete sinks that Joseph cast himself are modelled after a large butler’s sink in the farmhouse where he grew up in the Yorkshire Dales. “I designed the big bowl with enough room to wash big roasting tins because we love a good roast.”
Large triple-glazed doors and windows capture the views. Instead of a typical sliding door to the deck, Joseph chose a fixed glass panel with a door. It’s more suitable for a high-performance house, reduces the breeze and saves money.
A Resene colour expert helped create a cohesive palette of seven colours for the interior doors. The oak laminate flooring throughout the downstairs area is from Bunnings.
The home is 170sqm. “I cut my teeth doing loft extensions in London, so fitting a lot into a small space is something I'm quite experienced with.”
“Our kids had a habit of drawing on the walls,” says Joseph. “So plywood means we can sand it off. If at a later date we get bored of the plywood we can whitewash it or we can line over it.”
The multi-purpose mezzanine is currently used by the family as a music room.
The sustainable vinyl bathroom flooring is by Inzide.
“Carpet is one of the worst things you can put in the building for embodied carbon, because the maintenance, repair and replacement. So that's why we quite like rugs and throws.”
The ceilings are painted Resene Half Sea Fog, with the texture of the SIPs strandboard still visible. The shadow gaps between the SIPs and the plywood are to highlight the concept of the interior being slotted into the envelope of the house.
Glimpses through the slot windows add to a feeling of space. “They always remind me of medieval castles,” says Joseph.
The house fits effortlessly into its environment. Soon Joseph plans to inset a bath into the deck.