78 | “I’m building it on plan and trying to iron out all these little issues before it gets to the builder, so he doesn’t have issues on site.” Russell Moselen Architectural Design ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN www.aboveboard i nter i ors .co.nz RESIDENTIAL FIXUPS • SMALL COMMERCIAL PROJECTS • NEW HOME BUILDS RENOVATIONS • INSURANCE WORK • COMMERCIAL FITOUTS & REFURBISHMENT FIRE PROTECTION • PLASTERBOARD FIXING • INTERIOR PLASTERING • PAINTING 021446716 CONTACT US FOR A FREE QUOTE COMPREHENSIVE PLASTERBOARD FIXING STOPPING AND PAINTING SERVICES IN AUCKLAND & MANGAWHAI Proudly Supporting Russell Moselen Architectural Design Ltd and Rhino Build Phone: 09 430 3123 or 0800 101 276 3 Pipiwai Road, Whangarei | 1188 SH10 Bulls Gorge Kerikeri • Fascia and rainwater goods are a vital component of your new home - Continuous have perfected our trade with 30 years experience • We specialise in all aspects of rainwater harvesting • Locally owned and operated • 10 year leak free guarantee For a FREE no obligation quote phone CONTINUOUS TODAY 0800 50 1993 | www.continuous.co.nz Solid builds. Detailed Process. Quality YouCan Trust. NewBuilds Renovations & Extensions Full Project Management Decking & Fencing Architectural Landscaping GET IN TOUCH Phone: 021 474 867 Email: info@rhinobuild.co.nz Web: rhinobuild.co.nz Solid • Detailed • Quality TM T T Nick Walker Helping to bring clients’ visions to life The result is a distinctive 310sqm, three-bedroom home with a design that deliberately steps away from the conventional. Most prospective clients arrive at an architect’s office with ideas. Some have sketches, images or a strong sense of what they like. Architectural designer Russell Moselen doesn’t often see someone with a full design of their own before they even start, but that’s exactly what confronted him with a project in Whangārei’s One Tree Point which is currently under construction. Having built several homes before, the client came to the initial visit with his own hand-drawn plan for a new house overlooking the canals. His challenge for Russell was to identify and amend any issues, and turn it into a functional, buildable home without losing what made it unique. “It was just trying to get his ideas and make his design work,” says Russell. Rather than redoing the design, Russell’s role was to see through what was on paper and understand the broader vision behind it — recognising what particular features were trying to achieve and making optimisations where necessary. “He knew what he wanted and I kind of guided it home,” Russell says. “It’s not common but you do see it from time to time. “Often, it raises the bar, because an experienced client knows the process and they’re really clear on what they want. Expectations help to guide you so that’s not a bad thing, but there’s certainly no room for error.” The result is a distinctive 310sqm, three-bedroom home with a design that deliberately steps away from the conventional. There is a 90sqm garage for a collection of vehicles, a separate kitchen rather than an open-plan arrangement, and an unusually high 4.9m stud through the main living and dining areas. An alfresco dining area looks out over the canals, with accommodation for boat access to the water to follow later. The initial drawing is very much evident in the final plans, albeit with a few tweaks. “The entry had to change a wee bit but it’s still very similar,” Russell says. “There was a challenge to make the cladding work with the design of the home, and the design of the roof and clear light windows with minimal framing took a bit of work to make it functional and cohesive.” Making those adjustments was all about good collaboration. Russell worked closely with the client and builder Ryan Anderson from Rhino Build, with whom he has worked on a number of projects, to resolve issues before construction began. “I’m building it on plan and trying to iron out all these little issues before it gets to the builder, so he doesn’t have issues on site.” For Russell, the project demonstrates that architectural expertise is not always about imposing a design. Sometimes it’s about knowing when to preserve a client’s idea, when to challenge it and how to make the whole thing work. “It’s not totally different to a more typical process,” he says. “It’s just about making ideas and visions come to life.”
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