Farm House
By Jeff Brickell Architects
Designed for a couple wanting to downsize once their adult children had flown the nest. The brief called for a modern farmhouse that was easy to heat, clean and maintain. In addition, the sleeping spaces needed to be separate from the living spaces to allow for early starts and night shift work. This house sits on a knoll overlooking the surrounding farmland with a majestic bush clad volcanic cone on its north side.
The design references rural vernacular with a north facing long, low-slung form. Sleeping and living wings are separated, east and west respectively. Entry is between the garage/boat shed wing positioned to the south. A range of outdoor spaces are easily accessible from the living wing to suit different times of day/year. The north facing veranda links uncovered/morning and covered/afternoon outdoor spaces. Passive solar design principles are followed to allow plenty of winter sun into the house, whilst excluding excessive summer sun. In addition, the house features double glazing, high levels of thermal insulation, radiant heat sources and natural cross/stack effect ventilation.
Vertical pre-finished metal cladding is used to minimise maintenance where it is naturally rain washed. Vertical Cedar cladding in a board and batten profile is used where it is less exposed, or for its tactile qualities around outdoor spaces. The house sits on stack bond masonry/concrete foundations. A sarked Cedar ceiling extends to the exterior covered spaces.
- Location: Kamo, Whangarei District
- Type: New Build
- Floor Area: 220m2
- Contractor: RHJ Builders Ltd
- Completed: 2019
- Photography: Doug Pearson Photography
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Farm House
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Farm House
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About the
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Jeff Brickell Architects is a small, design focussed, architecture practice based in Whangarei. We offer dedicated personal service and high levels of accountability. Keeping overheads low means we offer excellent value. We have a local focus which allows us to foster collaborative relationships with other building professionals in Northland. We aim to craft buildings that relate to their environment and make people feel good.
Environmental Design
Above all we believe architecture needs to provide a healthy, comfortable place in which to live our lives. It needs to respond to its climate and be adaptable to suit the seasons. It needs to be as sustainable as possible and energy efficient. We utilise passive solar design principles in our buildings to provide natural light, warmth, cooling and ventilation. We aim to provide a range of outdoor spaces associated with the building to suit different times of day and year.
Quality Design
We recognise that people’s needs and values are often the same thing. We design architecture to meet people’s unique needs and to reflect their values. We aim for innovative, clever design solutions. Our design solutions provide cost effective architecture that is both practical and beautiful.
Site Specific Design
We use detailed site analysis to identify the unique set of opportunities that each site presents. Sun, wind, views, privacy and topography are all thoroughly considered to unlock the potential of the site. Often design concepts are derived from this relationship to site. We aim to design architecture that enhances people’s connection to their site and surrounding environment.