By Malcolm Taylor Architects
This project was the 5th we have designed & built together & the combination of the skill & experience of this client/builder/joinery maker allowed the building to start with an ambitious structure & then be finished in timber, with a high degree of skill & finesse. The Program was to design a 3 bedroom house for a semi- retired couple. Central to this main space is the Kitchen, which is also housed within a container.
There are four containers that stride down the site toward the view from a very quiet private service lane. The view opens as you track through the house & comes to an end at the Kitchen & family space. The house creates a courtyard to the north & connections back to the Thames Coromandel range, as well as opens up to the expanse of the Firth of Thames, with carefully placed windows & doors.
All the cladding & joinery has been made from oil stained cedar, giving this house a very "Arts & Crafts zeitgeist" softening the crisp rectilinear forms that step along the narrow site. This house is the clients dream home & spend many hours reading & gazing out to the ever-changing seascape.
Creating Ongoing Joyful Experiences.
We believe in the pursuit of the craft of architecture and building. The process of creating the built environment is very rewarding and a successful project can largely be attributed to a committed and highly communicative team of the client/contractor/architect.
Malcolm Taylor and Associates work from the casual, relaxed environment of a 1960's converted church in the eastern suburbs, providing an excellent atmosphere for creative endeavour. This is a working example of a revitalised building with “soul” and a newfound function demonstrating the way we approach restoration work. We have a dedicated team of Architects striving for excellence, ingenuity and integrity.
The process of “making” is reflected in the way we design, communicate, model and document, as well as how our buildings "go together". Building technology and materials are more often than not a catalyst to defining the building program, whether this is related to colour, texture, context or performance criteria. All of these chosen elements have an undertone of sustainable effectiveness and we readily discuss such directions with clients as they arise in each project evolution.
Malcolm Taylor Architects has been published regularly, showing a highly capable range of skills within the retail sector, educational buildings, commercial building refurbishment, commercial interiors, furniture design, residential and apartment buildings. We now have clients throughout Australasia and enjoy applying our design discipline to a variety of different environments.
We have an intuitive, yet functional approach to each project, with a broad range of awards from differing categories of the built environment. Many of these projects start with a re-evaluation of typology and appropriateness, leading to a solution not often expected. Success with an NZIA Supreme Award for a house on the Auckland West Coast is a testament to the level of excellence we offer our clients. This is the highest award received within the NZIA.