This home for Foxton locals is situated overlooking the mouth of the Manawatu River. Its Architecture builds from a typology of first floor living commonly found lining New Zealand coastal communities. It is located within the rivers flood plain risk and areas at ground level are designed to be sacrificial. Above these is an arrangement of interconnected volumes as a series of contrasting flowing spaces; a completely secluded living room sunken into the middle of the house flows up to a cantilevered glass viewing room set as a stage above the street and the passer-by.
The viewing room is a landing on a series of split levels that are used to create privacy and focus views of the river and the distant mountain ranges behind. At its highest point are sleeping spaces, at the other end dining and kitchen areas open out onto a raised rear lawn. The home is constructed in precast concrete, aluminium and oak.