Architecture:             Hamish Wakefield

Surveyor:                   Cardno TCB

Engineer:                  Dave White

Contractor:               Progressive Homes

Landscaping:            Capital Paving

Interiors:                    Danielle Leslie, Sally Steer, Kerry Woodham

Photographer:          Jason Mann

Located just above the point where rolling hills meet native grassland and wetlands, this home has been designed to sensitively contribute to its landscape.

Commissioned as a new family home for a Porirua-based couple and their two teenage children the house is set within a 4.5-acre parcel of Central Coast landscape, the house is loosely based on familiar forms found within a traditional ranch house with a pavilion-style floor layout and a deliberately heavy material façade. 

Nestled into the contours of the site, the house is intended to defer to its surrounding which will become more successful in time as landscaping takes hold and shelters the home from elements while softening the aesthetic of the Oamaru Stone veneer and weatherboard.

The living compound is composed of two primary elements, the primary residence and a pool house, the primary residence is defined by multiple intersecting forms to create a series of integrated courtyards and terraces that accentuate various indoor-outdoor relationships. The courtyards and terraces provide refuge from the wide-open spaces, establishing intimate settings for the adjacent living areas.

When we were first approached to design a home in the Judgeford area the clients had already established a strong and informed point of view. They were keen to contribute to a rural setting and were moving from a modern house in nearby Whitby but wanting to re-connect with their South Island country-style-living roots.

Driven by a love for horses, golf, motor-sport and travelling with friends, the initial conversation revolved around designing something that can be a home for family and friends, display their enjoyment of nice things, and where they can appreciate this lovely site.

The architectural translation is an understated home with a complimentary interior that is now home to their family, friends and art.

Multiple floor elevations and steep-pitched roof form step to follow the natural slope of the site, further merging the house and pool house within the site. Hospitality and relaxation are the focus for the interiors, with large gathering spaces, and two wings for the four bedrooms and master suite, including a private master bathroom.

A sense of luxury is created through a subtle, yet complex, layering of furnishings within the elegantly proportioned rooms. Natural materials and a neutral palette ground the simple interiors, which are accented by pops of colour introduced through artwork and accessories.

Generous roof overhangs provide shelter from the northern and western sun and add substantial shadow relief on the building’s public face.

The material palette is simple and practical, in keeping with ranch house traditions. The walls are predominantly a stone veneer with weatherboard complimenting. Deep eaves incorporate colorsteel gutters and Tongue and Groove soffit linings. 

Retaining walls, integrated with the contours of the site, are plastered masonry and split-faced concrete blocks.