Business South October 2020

74 | aRCHItECtURE Bonnifait + Giesen “CLT is a really innovative feature of this home and is the kind of technology that can be readily used in prefabrication.” This Robinsons Bay holiday home reflects an innovative and forward thinking design, tailored to a spectacular yet difficult site. 021 161 46 94 www.paintrod.com rod@paintrod.com paintrod  paintrod_quality_painters_ltd At PaintRod Quality Painters we offer a well-organized, professional approach to contracting. We are committed to delivering the quality we promise, we take pride in our reputatoion and we will be successful in establishing a higher standard for the industry. Phone calls will be returned promptly, appointments are kept, prices are fair, workmanship standards are high and our employees show up clean, neat, and ready to work. • Residential & Commercial • Spray painting • Roof repaints (tiles, iron etc) • Fences • Warehouses, barns, sheds, stables • Water blasting • Property washing ...and much more! O utwardly simple in form, a Robinsons Bay holiday home on Banks Peninsula reflects an innovative and forward thinking design, tailored to a spectacular yet difficult site and embodying principles of sustainability. From the French-Kiwi Atelier Workshop of Wellington architects Bonnifait + Giesen, this compact home (Blanks House) sits lightly on the land overlooking Akaroa Harbour, stretch- ing from dense bush and capturing sweeping views of the bay. The sloping site is south-facing, so bringing sun into this home was also going to be a tricky part of the design challenge. “We addressed this through having a big open void space and a high stud that fills with sunlight, opening onto a sheltered deck that extends the living area,” says architect William Giesen. T Kim Newth Sustainable Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) technology, using high quality sturdy panels imported from Austria, was selected as the main building material for this solid timber home. “It is a really innovative feature of this home and is the kind of technology that can be read- ily used in prefabrication - CLT has so much potential in that area. The whole shell of this house is made of CLT, along with the internal linings and flooring.” Bonnifait + Giesen have led the country in designing buildings that use this technology; CLT panels used in Blanks House are 130mm thick and deliver an added advantage of elimi- nating thermal breaks. Simple and streamlined in form, the design process for this house was complex given the site’s steep topography. The rise of the house echoes the rise of the surrounding slopes. Kitchen and living areas look directly out to the stunning sea views, while the two bedrooms are tucked into the bush to offer a private retreat. This year, Bonnifait + Giesen are continu- ing to develop their FAB series, building on a core purpose of seeking more accessible and sustainable solutions in architecture, without compromising on design. The practice has a long track record in this area, with their ‘bach in a box’ concept attracting a lot of interest back in 2009. William believes the prefabrication move- ment itself won’t gain significant traction, however, until the government provides the necessary leadership – and capital - to link up designers, builders and manufacturers. In the meantime, William and practice co-founder, architect Cecile Bonnifait, are con- tinuing to develop their FAB series, which was launched with a prototype in 2016, (the MINI FAB, built in China). The small footprint one- and two- bedroom homes in the series are beautifully designed, again using CLT technology and including other in-built energy efficiency and sustaina- bility features. A new prototype called FAB ONE (2 bed- rooms + study) is currently under construction in Gisborne. “So much high-end housing is out of reach for most people. “We are trying to deliver good design at a more reasonable cost point.” Exploring accessible, sustainable solutions