By Crosson Architects
The entrance to the Kaipara Harbour is a dangerous place: it has been the burial ground for a number of ships in the early days of trade and settlement. Remnants of many of these vessels remain.
As a response, the house is conceptually a number of upturned hulls submerged in the sand - 'rusting' hulks which continue to weather in this harsh coastal environment. This idea is explored within the plan with irregular shapes and spaces - one can imagine these having been shifted and morphed by time and tides.
The experience of the landscape is manipulated by various relationships to the outside - withdrawn, immediate and projected. The cladding of weathered copper reinforces the notion of the temporal and the developing of a patina over time.
The structure of timber portal frame reminiscent of the early structure of galleons, colliers and trading ships of an earlier time, handmade and solid. The house is an exploration of the notion of 'form finding' as opposed to form making: the idea that an appropriate architecture emerges out of its context.
Crosson Architects is an Auckland based architectural practice with an exceptional portfolio of work. Past projects include residential, commercial, institutional, masterplanning and urban design developments. Ken Crosson and his team have won numerous architectural awards locally and internationally with work being regularly published here and around the world.
Our commitment to providing a superior service to our clients is extended with membership in Designgroup New Zealand, enabling larger scale projects to be undertaken, drawing on a range of resources and expertise from partnering practices. We strive for the highest standards of client service, design and documentation. At the completion of each project, the aim is to have achieved a building that is beyond the client's expectations. We believe good design will produce sustainable, functional and dramatic spaces and buildings that have an enduring quality over time.
Each project is analysed for its special requirements and opportunities: the end result being not a preconceived idea, but a combination of the client's requirements and desires, a response to the site and the budget. Critical consideration is given to the project's specific environmental and historical context, and to the appropriate use of materials and construction methods.
At the heart of the process is the collaboration between the client and the architect. At Crosson Architects we create – and the process is vigorous and robust, rich and rewarding. Amongst other elements, we consider the physical, psychological and spiritual – achieving an outcome that is unique and life-enhancing.
We would love to offer you the opportunity to realise your dream with Ken and the team at Crosson Architects.