By South by Southeast Architects
The client asked SxSE to explore design solutions that would create spaces that would provide a welcoming warm series of spaces that flowed together from inside to outside. The clients wanted spaces that were filled with natural light while also providing wall space for their changing art collection.
The new entrance, kitchen, dining and living spaces are brought together under a vaulted roof volume that allows space, light, and texture to combine to provide a strong sense of welcoming. The new spaces provide clear visual links to the outside environment. The sweeping roof form creates ‘sheltered’ and ‘open’ spaces to live amongst.
The different timber cladding used on soffits, walls, and deck were carefully chosen to work with the colours found within the surrounding landscape and to provide a sense of warmth, human scale and contrast within the spaces. The different timber selections also allowed us to play with textures & colours that changed with the play of light through the day and through the seasons creating surfaces with an inherent dynamic nature
South by Southeast’s designs are deeply rooted in the place they stand. As an award-winning South Island practice, our work seeks to enhance a sense of place – tūrangawaewae. Places where we feel especially empowered and connected. They are our foundation, our place in the world, our home. Our beautiful and innovative designs acknowledge the importance of identity and our relationship to others and the connection to our physical spaces we inhabit, whether natural or human-made.
We believe that the best design is not just aware of the environment for which it is designed, but also has a positive impact on it. We design all our architecture to have a long term benefit on the community it serves, with the smallest possible environmental impact on the land. Big impact, with a small footprint. We know the South, it's our home and our place of business. We fundamentally believe in strengthening our local region by providing future ready developments in the South Island and beyond.