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Northland Lake House

Orientated Northeast and overlooking one of Northland's lakes, this house is poised in position over a natural gentle ridge. The view from afar reveals a collection of strong horizontal elements nestled within a surrounding planted backdrop.

The fundamental dwelling space is an elevated exterior stone terrace platform with a 4 metre high veranda roof, open on three sides to the atmosphere. The fourth side includes an outdoor fireplace wrapped in a dark Italian travertine and provides structure to the roof and adjacent pavilion. An interconnecting roof glides in an "L shape" between the platform and a three faced glass box living area. The roof is punctured with square light wells allowing natural light by day and supplemented by artificial light by night. These devices are diffused by honey coloured translucent onyx stone slabs providing a glowing ambient light in the evening.

The entire floor and terraces are wrapped in stone tiles. Exterior walls are clad in an Italian travertine limestone “plank” fixed horizontally to emphasize the horizontal line. Decks formally interlock with one another between levels and a double height void opens within the western deck to allow light into the basement bedroom courtyard space below.

The glass balustrade extends only above a stone nib wall upstand to contain the space while also reducing the amount of visual glass on the elevation. Sliding doors are optimized to a maximum size to reduce the vertical lines that would otherwise interrupt the 270 degree view of the lake and surrounding rolling hills.

Northland Lake House
Northland Lake House
Northland Lake House
Northland Lake House
Northland Lake House
Northland Lake House
Northland Lake House
Northland Lake House

About the
Professional

RB Studio is a design-focused practice. Quality to us means a commitment to producing buildings that endure - physically, practically and aesthetically. After careful communication, we apply innovative thinking to create solutions that transcend the brief. The client-architect relationship is fundamental to this process.

Our work is characterised by clarity, tactile materiality and the dynamic interplay of volume, light and mass. These attributes are the building blocks of good design and are the real forces that shape good architecture.  Through a process of continual critique and refinement, our aim is to develop individual design solutions that meet the needs of our clients.  We maintain a specialist team that focuses on projects with a cultural and artistic dimension.

As a team we strive to remain flexible, allowing us to maintain a high level of quality and consistency over the design, documentation and delivery of all work we produce. Our team are committed and dedicated toward producing well thought out architectural solutions that are practical to build and functional to occupy.  

We utilise technology which includes three-dimensional coordination, graphics, colour rendering and modelling. This technology enables precision and performance, while allowing the office to maintain strong and consistent design.  We develop individual design solutions that respond and reflect the client's brief. These solutions are refined over the project development. The client relationship is strengthened by on going communication and dialogue throughout the project. Communication begins with establishing values and principles that aggregate into a concept-driven design approach and outcome. We work alongside a highly skilled team of consultants including Geotechnical and Structural Engineers, Quantity Surveyors, Planners, Landscape designers and Project Manager. These consultants are engaged at critical stages in our projects to ensure performance to realistic budget and time expectations.

RB Studio
RB Studio

Architects