Houzz Tour: A Home in a New Subdivision Courts Privacy and Views
The design of this New Zealand house takes future neighbors into account
Being one of the first to build in a new subdivision provides architects and owners with the flexibility to design a home that stakes its claim before other houses spring up around it. But it also requires anticipating what future neighbors may build so as to maintain privacy, space and views.
This house is in a new subdivision in Point Wells, New Zealand, an hour north of Auckland. Working with a flat vacant lot and no neighbors (as yet), architect Antony Martin of MRTN Architects created a design for the home that anticipates the soon-to-be neighborhood and creates a sense of retreat from the street.
This house is in a new subdivision in Point Wells, New Zealand, an hour north of Auckland. Working with a flat vacant lot and no neighbors (as yet), architect Antony Martin of MRTN Architects created a design for the home that anticipates the soon-to-be neighborhood and creates a sense of retreat from the street.
Vertical cedar siding: Cedarscreen via Rosenfeld Kidson; Shadowclad natural groove siding: Carter Holt Harvey
Although the roof looks flat and slim from the front, it is in fact angled, and its volume appears to thicken with dark siding. Martin used shadow as a design quality.
“We created an oversized dark roof that protects from the elements, as heavy downpours are common. But the extended black eaves and long shadows are also protective in nature,” Martin says.
“We created an oversized dark roof that protects from the elements, as heavy downpours are common. But the extended black eaves and long shadows are also protective in nature,” Martin says.
The client had a great desire for a home with privacy, so Martin created a layered separation from front to back. What appears to be a continuous form from the front is a split gable that divides the house in two. The garage, street entry and guest bedrooms are in the front, and the living spaces and owner’s bedroom are in the rear.
“It has a shifting scale,” Martin says. “From the street, the house appears as a compact assemblage of parts, but on entering, the scale expands as you move through the plan, and it spills out to a verdant garden off the living room.”
At the highest point of the roof, a glassed-in passageway links the front and back of the house. On one side, it offers a secondary entry to and from the garden, and on the other side, it has a sheltered space for outdoor dining.
Also connecting the front entry to the rear of the house is a wall of vertical stained cedar panels. The floorboards are stained oak.
The cedar-lined wall leads to the kitchen, which features a sun-drenched built-in seat in front of an expansive picture window that frames views of the garden. “It’s essentially a second living space,” Martin says. “The owner practically lives in this spot to read, watch television, eat, chat with friends. The cats also love this spot, as it’s so nice and sunny.”
A Flare downlight by Australian designer Ross Gardam illuminates the window seat.
For the kitchen, Martin chose a muted palette that relates tonally to the cedar inside and outside. Corian countertops and stained American oak cabinets are light and neutral, and they complement the hand-glazed brown and seagrass-green tiles from Middle Earth Tiles.
A wide opening in the cedar-lined wall leads from the kitchen to the dining and living spaces, which are on a lower level.
“The separation between these two rooms is created through the changes in levels and materials rather than walls and doors,” Martin says. In addition, the living-dining room has a high raked ceiling with exposed rafters, whereas the other rooms have flat ceilings.
“The separation between these two rooms is created through the changes in levels and materials rather than walls and doors,” Martin says. In addition, the living-dining room has a high raked ceiling with exposed rafters, whereas the other rooms have flat ceilings.
“The high walls provide space for the owner’s art collection and impart the sense of being in a covered outdoor room,” Martin says. This is enhanced by the sliding glass doors, which lead to an alfresco sitting area. “It’s the space the homeowner can retreat to, connected to the garden but sheltered by the eave,” he says.
Terra-cotta patio tiles: Middle Earth Tiles
Terra-cotta patio tiles: Middle Earth Tiles
In the owner’s master bedroom, Martin incorporated a large fixed window with a private outlook onto the garden. The paneling also creates a connection with the yard.
The bathroom is a stunning ensemble of cool and warm materials that reflect and absorb light. “For the en suite, we chose these wonderful bronze-gold tiles that have a metallic shimmer to them. Their appearance is constantly changing, depending on the light and whether it’s night or day,” Martin says.
As one of the first houses to stand in the new Point Wells subdivision, this house has been designed with future neighbors and privacy in mind, and will likely set the standard for the home designs to follow.
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As one of the first houses to stand in the new Point Wells subdivision, this house has been designed with future neighbors and privacy in mind, and will likely set the standard for the home designs to follow.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: A woman and her two cats
Location: Point Wells, New Zealand
Size: 2,583 square feet (240 square meters); three bedrooms, three bathrooms
Designer: Antony Martin of MRTN Architects
Situated on a good-size semisuburban lot, the house appears as a simple flat-roofed home from the front. Layers of cedar-clad walls seem to hold up the roof, and a poured-in-place concrete wall screens the door.