102 | Magic at The Mount A variety of floor levels, complemented with similar treatment in roof height makes for visual interest. JMAC Architecture T T Sue Russell ARCHITECTURE Some projects have a long gestation period, and probably this can be said of award winning ‘Stone’s Throw’ home in Mt Maunganui, designed by architectural designer director Jason Macdonald of JMAC Architecture. ‘Stone’s Throw’ is a beautiful home, full of design flair, elegance and wonderful lines, built on a demanding, ‘full-of-opportunity’ site close to Marine Parade and Pilot Bay, in Mt Maunganui. Having an existing relationship with the home’s future owner’s was a plus, as Jason explains. “They are long-standing clients of ours and own a group housing business based in Bay of Plenty, so we have done a number of commissions for them. This one was extra special because it was their own home I was designing.” The couple, who had a home in the country, decided it was the right time to move into down-town Mt Maunganui and be part of its special character, as an iconic sea-side destination. The 630sqm full site, was previously home to two old apartments and sitting right next to a green space, it was the ideal place to build the dream home. With established homes built beside and above it, Stone’s Throw’s design needed to meld opportunistic moments to capture light and sun while preserving living privacy needs, a tension Jason found solution for by turning to mid-century Palm Springs style design forms. “We had restrictions on height, given neighbours behind the home which called for the removal of a large amount of earth and sand requiring sensitively engineered retaining walls to protect the established homes and to give sufficient flat land size to build well on.” So impressed were judges in achieving the brief’s objectives that Stone’s Throw received national recognition by winning the National ADNZ Architectural Award in 2023 along with a TIDA (Trends International Design Awards) Highly Commended gong. COVID-19 certainly impacted the design phase, calling for discussion between Jason and the clients over zoom meetings. Inspiration was drawn from American mid-century modernism, typically characterised by clean, simple lines and honest use of materials and palette. Stone’s Throw is a celebration of articulate use of these characteristics, something the clients had uppermost in their mind. The brief included blending casual and formal living spaces, retreat areas and entertainment spaces, while allowing for privacy and yet visual access to the park next door. “We spent a lot of time, working on finding this balance.” A feature of the home’s design and central to it, is an over-sized pavilion style covered social outdoor area, complete with a louvred roof system, enabling the sun and light to be captured according to will in the space below. From street entry, the home opens with living spaces, while terraced stairs lead off to a lower-level rumpus/media room and swimming pool with bedrooms stacked above. A variety of floor levels, complemented with similar treatment in roof height makes for visual interest. As was common with mid-century modernism, slates are used discreetly to cover off specific glazed and open areas. Jason explains these powder-coated aluminium, maintenance free slates, can be removed from the built form in the event of the owners wishing to repaint. And an ingenious turntable has been employed to allow the vehicle to drive in and drive out forward facing, in a tight space. Jason believes the light colour pallet suits the coastal environment the home is built near. Stone’s Throw was completed by Christmas 2022/23 with Twill Interiors bringing their professional input into the home’s fixtures and fittings while RM Landscape delivered their magic touch outside the home’s footprint. Jason says the biggest challenge for such a publicly exposed site was to create a sense of home owner privacy combined with nice street elegance. JMAC Architecture is a boutique studio, with Jason and senior architectural designer Shelley Alderson-Wallace working collaboratively on projects. “I deal upfront with our client’s and provide project design lead. Shelley then steps in, with her very practical and technically focussed skill-set creating all the detail to bring the design to life.”
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