Kinloch House

Inspired by 1950s Los Angeles case study homes, as well as designs by New Zealand’s Group Architects, architect Malcolm Taylor created this unassuming, yet spacious home at Kinloch village, near Taupo. The low-slung home with its modest exterior complete with grid-like details on the windows and doors harks back to the everyman designs created by these renowned architects. Part of this homage comes down to the use of innovative materials, in particular the Metalcraft ThermoSpan prefabricated insulated panels specified for both the roof and wall cladding of the home. Consisting of expanded polystyrene between two sheets of COLORSTEEL® for Insulated Panels, the material provides excellent thermal performance without the need for secondary insulation. Typically used for warehouses and other large structures, it saves time in the construction phase, requires little maintenance, and also provides a sleek, unfussy external expression that adds to the modernist theme, a style known for its true-to-form materiality. In terms of colour choices, Malcolm specified COLORSTEEL® Ebony for the wall cladding and the grey-white tone of COLORSTEEL® Titania for the roof. “The key reason for these colour choices was that we wanted the home to recede into the landscape, as this is a prominent hillside subdivision in Kinloch,” he says. “Having said that, we have also used two powder coat joinery colours, with matte black for the large sliding doors to reinforce the transition through the house, and white for the remaining joinery.” The modernist aesthetic of Kinloch House continues inside with the use of prefinished plywood linings alongside some areas of exposed COLORSTEEL®, concrete flooring, louvred windows, and also the inclusion of grid-like acoustic treatments. These are positioned above busy zones throughout the home, both physically demarcating different areas and preventing sound from being carried across rooms. From its hillside perch with its expansive views, this home emits an essence of timeless elegance while delivering a series of easy-care spaces for the homeowners to enjoy for many years to come. Material: COLORSTEEL® For Insulated Panels Rollformer :Metalcraft Builder: Monteith Builders Photographer: Simon Devitt Profile: Smooth & Mesa Finish ThermoSpan Designer: Malcolm Taylor and Associates Installer: Roy Cottle