Silverwood House I, Porirua

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

The site for this project was a suburban setting with homes to be built in close proximity on all boundaries other than the street front. 

Commissioned as a new show-home for a Porirua-based Progressive Homes, the house was deliberately designed to be affordable and aspirational for potential new home clients.  

Our design approach was to create a sanctuary within suburbia. The design option chosen works with the difficult land contour rather than taking on significant earthworks which adds cost to the project.

The house is intended to offer a subtle point of difference to its surrounding neighbours whilst not being too different than it would look out of place.   

Clad entirely in James Hardie's CLD products this house was the first in Wellington and one of the first nationally to utilise Stria in a vertical orientation contrasting the Linea nicely.     

The living area and entry are purposefully set back from the road to allow a large sheltered courtyard that basks in sun and offers year-round indoor/outdoor connection. 

The connection of the kitchen to the second living area using surface mounted sliders has been a very popular feature of this home which we have replicated a number of times since.