Silverwood House II

Architecture:             Hamish Wakefield Surveyor:                   Cuttriss Consultants Engineer:                  Dave White Contractor:               Progressive Homes Landscaping:            Capital Paving Interiors:                   Sue Faulke, Kerry Woodham Photographer:          Jason Mann   Located at the end of the Silverwood Estate ridgeline this home has been designed to make the best use of the steep slope and inspiring views from sunrise to sunset. Commissioned as a new lifestyle base for a Porirua-based couple with adult children the house is set within a parcel of hilltop landscape. The house is based on a collection of contemporary forms with influences of pavilion-style living referenced in the floor plan with a deliberately considered solid façade.  Cutting into the contours of the site, the house is intended to stand firmly on the site maintaining its status over time as surrounding houses are built and future landscaping takes hold. The living area is spread across the mid-level with storage and gym areas downstairs and guest bedrooms and office spaces upstairs.  The mid-level features two prominent outdoor decks with access to landscaped terraces providing shelter from the prevailing winds on the ridge. The central courtyard allows for an intimate setting connecting the adjacent living areas. When we were first approached to design a home in Silverwood the clients gave us the freedom to take their brief and design a home to suit. They were keen to maximise the identified assets of the site, maintain privacy and ensure they could live there for a long time. Driven by a love for golf and their business, the initial conversation revolved around designing something that can be a home for comfortable living, entertaining, work and display their enjoyment of nice things without over capitalising. The architectural translation is a highly visible but private home with a contemporary interior that is now a comfortably entertainers paradise.  Hospitality and relaxation are the focus for the interiors, with interconnecting gathering spaces, open plan living and separation between the four bedrooms and master suite which includes a private master bathroom and dressing space. The material palette is simple and practical, in keeping with contemporary design the walls are predominantly an aerated concrete panel with plaster finish with weatherboard complimenting. Retaining walls are all timber pole tied into the landscaping through appropriate planting and decking.