Photographer: Paul McCredie
This project is a new home for a retired couple and their large family. It is set on a rolling Arcadian site near Mapua overlooking the Waimea estuary and the hills beyond including Mount Arthur.
The house is formed from three tilting volumes that traverse along the slope of the land. Sandwiched between the forms are a variety of courtyard spaces and a tucked-in pool to the north. The main public circulation punches perpendicular to these volumes. It starts as an oversized slot forming the entry, continues through a side-lit gallery, and then to views of the pool and estuary beyond.
The living spaces are tall and airy with generous decks and overhangs at the western end. The lower portion of the living spaces contains the cosy lounge and roof over the pool. The bedroom wing tilts up again to the east culminating in a grand main bedroom.