| 81 T T Kelly Deeks Award-winning designs loved by owners MCAS also brought home a Small Project award for its inspiring Totara Pavilion project. MC Architecture Studio ARCHITECTURE With collaboration at the forefront of its process, MC Architecture Studio (MCAS) creates award-winning, high performing projects that are lauded by the industry and most importantly, loved by their owners. Two MCAS projects which clearly demonstrate the outcome of a strong architect/client relationship have taken out awards at the Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects 2023 Canterbury Architecture Awards. Apartment 41, a mixture of commercial and residential, won in the commercial architecture category with judges citing its testament to the possibilities of innovative and sustainable design with a joint effort. MCAS founder and director Massimiliano (Max) Capocaccia worked alongside this very wonderful client through every step of the design and build of Apartment 41 on a main road in Sumner. “This client wanted a building which performed very well, and has been happy to design well above code,” Max says. “The apartment is airtight with heat exchanger mechanical ventilation system, acoustic treatment to the walls, and triple glazed timber windows with aluminium outside facings creating a highly comfortable interior space which performs aesthetically as well.” Site constraints were one of the main challenges for this project and the three-storey building sits on an impressively small 60sqm footprint. There was an option to go taller which was discarded in deference to neighbours and their buildings. “It was either going to be a small shop or a tall building, and of course the benefit of going higher gave us access to the views to the ocean. The terrace on the north face of the top floor is a beautiful feature and enjoys stunning sunrises and sunsets.” Apartment 41 has been designed and built to leave a lasting legacy to its owner and their family. Max says more and more clients are looking to develop buildings that will last, that they can leave for their children as part of their heritage, so the incorporation of sustainable elements is on the pathway towards this objective. “I’m very keen on reducing the impact of our structures on the natural environment,” Max says. “We know this building is going to be there for a long time, that it’s not going to use much energy, that it’s airtight with large volumes of high quality natural insulation, and that we’ve taken a truly sustainable approach.” MCAS also brought home a Small Project award for its inspiring Totara Pavilion project. A small addition in a typical backyard to a Christchurch city villa, the Totara Pavilion provides a sheltered space for outdoor living, transitioning seamlessly through the garden to the main house with a series of decks and steps. With a focus on health and wellbeing, the pavilion includes a gym, rumpus room, bicycle storage with bikes washing area, spa deck, sauna room, and bathroom. Its timber-frame envelopes the property’s existing majestic totara tree, wrapping around its trunk with a floor-to-ceiling window, while vertical timber elements serve to blur the line between pavilion and garden. While MCAS is recognised with industry awards, Max says his work is for his clients. “We are proud of these buildings, but the happiness of our clients is most important. The fact our client is happy with his Totara Pavilion and is now enjoying his garden, that’s beautiful to hear.” info@pt lnz.com | www.pt lnz.com | Chr istchurch | Queenstown PTL are your next Structural and Fire engineering team. We offer professional consulting services for residential , commercial and industrial buildings by combining state-of-the-art technology and expert specialist engineers. PTL work with architects, developers and construction companies to provide innovative and economical structural and fire solutions, as quickly as possible. Pro Clima NZ is proud to have supported MC Architecture Studio with the supply of high-performance internal airtightness and external weathertightness systems for their Apartment 41 project. 0800 PRO CLIMA (776 254) / @proclimanz / www.proclima.co.nz
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