Waikato River House banner

Xsite Architects were engaged by clients who have had a 40 year association with the building industry – the last 11 of which have been spent running a successful Hamilton housing franchise. They wanted to explore building techniques, products and finishes more unique than their own customers are used to, such as acoustic ceiling panels, plaster box light fittings, and structural concrete and steel construction. They have also had a long-standing relationship with the Waikato River – Bob having represented New Zealand in rowing, through which sport the couple met. This house had to maintain that special relationship with the river.

The site was already partially excavated by the previous owner, and we dug deeper to set the main living areas 1400mm below the arrival point. This arrangement keeps the cars to the South-East and allows the living areas to open up to the North and West river aspects.

The house is composed of simple, solid block forms clad in either zinc, stone or cedar slats and these are broken up by voids of floor-to-ceiling double-glazing. The zinc cladding is “Autumn Red” and is fixed with a vertical standing seam – a detail that served well to hide the obligatory parapet flashing. The South and West walls of the main living space are clad in horizontal split basalt in random lengths and varying widths. The garage, pool equipment sheds and retaining walls are identified by black stained cedar battens.

Entry is into the glazed, double-height void that contains the stairs and circulation. An internal balcony feeds the bedrooms, bathroom and study on the upper floor. The lower level split divides the gym, bathroom and garage off from the living areas. The living areas enjoy the large spans and open areas that the concrete and steel structure allows, but are defined into more intimate spaces by carpet inserts, floating acoustic ceilings and skylights. The highly textural stone of the South wall wraps around into the living room while clusters of halogen lights recess into plaster boxes in the ceiling.

There were two major construction challenges in this project. In the North-East corner, four 600mm diameter concrete piles were sunk seven metres into the ground and cantilever up five and a half metres to support the neighbouring property. The study floats over the entry on a concrete floor spanning three and a half metres onto a massive steel beam that cantilevers four metres out over the garage door.

The house was designed within the constraints of the Claudelands West heritage controls, so the bulk of the building has been set down into the landscape, following the similar bulk of surrounding buildings. The basalt, zinc and cedar were selected for their traditional references, but are applied in an inventive and considered way. The result is a house whose tones and textures recede comfortably into its surrounds.

Malcolm Taylor Architects
Auckland

Products used in
Waikato River House

About the
Professional

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.