96 | Matt Brew Architect House on award shortlist from page 94 Blurring the boundaries between internal and external is an essential part of the house’s design. ARCHITECTURE Aware of the neighbours and how the house presented to the street, the design uses a soft palate of natural materials to fit in with the beach setting. The lightweight upper timber structure of cedar cladding and an Iroko hardwood screen is essentially a simple timber box sitting on a series of concrete walls. The design then teases apart that structure with a series of vertical and horizontal grids to break up the mass. Something Matt explains as “a deconstructivist methodology, of replicating and overlaying grids onto the building form, then removing sections of solid within the grids to a reveal the void. With the intention of creating an overall sense of calm through the repetition of texture”. Blurring the boundaries between internal and external is an essential part of the house’s design. “The concrete walls on the ground floor are all articulated to blur the lines between your inside and your outside and the garden actually comes into the house in places,” explains Matt. “There’s also a recessed private living area on the upper level, which is detailed to feel as if it is part of the balcony deck.” The brief he was working to in the end was quite simple, “a single family home, where the client’s children and grandchildren would be encouraged to come and stay on a regular basis.” Given that the house is full of family nearly every weekend Matt clearly hit the mark from the client’s point of view, while the result of the NZIA Awards is yet to be known. Topia Garden Design is a landscape and garden design consultancy based in Auckland, NZ. Established in 2013, our company has a wealth of experience in residential garden design. Our team has a passion and reputation for providing an exceptional garden design service, specialised in creating beautiful gardens across a range of properties throughout New Zealand. Proudly supporting Matt Brew Architect 027 788 4496 topiagardendesign.co.nz @topiagardendesign 0800 336 996 2 Rockridge Ave, Penrose, Auckland www.doorwindowsystems.co.nz info@doorwindowsystems.co.nz
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