By Gary Todd Architecture
A new two storey contemporary styled home incorporating clean lines, seamlessness, materiality and order defined by stone blade walls.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
We were approached to design a two storey, three bedroom contemporary styled home amongst a developing subdivision within the Taieri Plains. The clients required a house which responded to the surrounding mountain views and their evolving needs as a retired couple. Access to all primary living spaces was to be on one lower level flush with outdoor paving, lawns and gardens that offered both privacy controlled connectivity to the Street traffic and activity of neighbours. The desire was to create a functional and elegant home, incorporating carefully considered open plan living with strong links to outdoor spaces and the wider landscape. Huge importance was to be put on clean lines, seamlessness, materiality and an uncompromised sense of order. Despite the precondition for the house to be an open plan they requested apartment styled living for the owners and a separate wing for guests and family with the potential to be closed off from the primary areas of the house. Although the guest wing was to be integrated within the overall design it was important for it to become spatially independent. The owners were keen to go outside their comfort zone to achieve a modern home with a greater degree of indoor to outdoor transparency to gain maximum sunlight and landscape views plus level access to enjoy easy care indoor outdoor living. Materials and their use were to form a natural colour palette to bond interiors to landscaped spaces to provide a seamless connection and grounding to the residence.
CREATIVE SOLUTION
Our architectural concept is a series of parallel stone blades with cedar and glass between. The vertical blades of stone rise in contrast with the flat site, intended to establish a sense of permanence and monumentality. These values were derived from the client brief and have been intrinsic to the design at every stage of development. In the context of a new and developing residential area, this house was to create an architectural landmark amongst the repetitive franchise style housing. Stone blades with cedar, glass, aluminium, polished concrete floors and lighting effects are woven together with the site in a way which defines a point of difference, without detracting from the character of the Highland Park subdivision. The house planning links the interior and exterior by marrying seamless, materiality and geometry to provide a bespoke and contemporary living arrangement. With respect for the living requirements of a retired couple, the master suite, Living, and Kitchen/Dining areas are arranged in three bays defined by stone blades. These three primary living spaces open out to courtyards with landscaping to the north and East. Two central stone blades rise to form the separate guest upper storey connected by a feature timber and glass staircase in a double height Entry. Upper level glass walls capture views of the Maungatua Hills to the north and the Chain Hills to the south. A feature stone blade provides a connective spine linking Entry Court, interior spaces and outdoor Living Court. The clients love the resultant modern home.
For us, architecture is about creating special places in context with their natural and built environment for the enjoyment of people who live in them, work in them, or experience them. Every project, regardless of scale, we consider is a unique opportunity to create something amazing for our client, community and society.
Our architectural practice is humble however operates with confidence because we are experienced in a variety of building types and styles with a proven track record. Our projects vary from Otago to Central Otago, Southland and Canterbury and wider afield than New Zealand to Australia, Fiji and France.
Every project is unique and emerges out of a specific client brief, budget and site that we may challenge and offer options if we consider there is a need to think deeper before proceeding further. These considerations inform the design and build process where our experience on projects to create that point of difference is more likely to be achieved with our valued professional guidance and expertise assisting you as with our many prior clients.
We have been collaborating with our clients, consultants, contractors and councils to provide excellence by offering our trusted experience, innovation and professional guidance to all aspects of a project with vision, planning, documentation, contracts, construction, interior fit out, landscaping and project management from concept to completion as a full project approach under sole leadership to get the best outcome.
We know that each project brings different client requirements and that our response can be to guide that project through a collaborative process to success, whether it is small or large, simple or complex with us as your design lead. The end result is to create inspirational spaces with architecture that could meet and exceed the client and public expectation and be fully in context with the natural and built environment.
Our practice is green minded and actively incorporates innovative sustainable design and construction with an environmental awareness that can contribute to our future. We support ethical and sustainable practices. We believe our architecture can reflect who our clients are and their aspirations.
With the experience of Gary leading the team, we specialise mainly in new or altered residential or commercial projects. We have been involved in over 1000 building projects over more than 25 years and have been acknowledged by over 90 New Zealand Architectural Design Awards in the process which is testament to the quality that you can expect given to each project.