46 | SUR Architecture ARCHITECTURE Clever design transforms Otago home T T Karen Phelps Original and new parts of the East Taieri were tied together with colour and a new roof and large windows give good indoor-outdoor flow to the deck and garden. A recent project by SUR Architecture in East Taieri, Otago, demonstrates the importance of functionality and flow in a home. Although the floor print of the existing home has only increased slightly – to 142sqm from 132sqm – the difference is huge due to clever use of space. The home started out as a hall that had been located to the site some years previously and undergone a number of extensions and small renovations over the years. SUR Architecture director Maria Callau says that the brief was to deliver a simple, functional home that was warm with a lot of light and sun. SUR Architecture identified poorly built areas and decided it wasn’t worth keeping them so the decision was made to remove part of the original home. A new insulated concrete slab connected the existing and new part of the home, which included a lounge, kitchen and flexible room. Maria says the decision to keep the high ceilings and expose the rafters gives a spacious feel, enhanced by the inclusion of a mezzanine. The existing stucco part of the home was renovated and includes four bedrooms, family bathroom and ensuite. Original and new parts were tied together with colour and a new roof and large windows give good indoor-outdoor flow to the deck and garden. Energy efficiency is something that SUR Architecture prioritises with every project and in this case positioning the wood burner in the centre of the home along with 140mm thick insulation in the timber framing with 250mm of insulation in the roof delivered a great result. Thermally broken aluminium double glazed windows also helped to reduce heat loss and increasing levels of solar gain by opening the home to the sun also made a huge difference. Maria says that the clients are really happy with how their new home is performing and she cites them as a key part of the project’s success: “The client was great and we had really good communication. We took time to discuss things at the beginning and the result was a great outcome. Keeping things simple was important with a few unique touches, such as the exposed rafters, to make the home stand out while keeping to the budget. We also used reclaimed timber from the demolition to create slatted screens in areas of transition between the different ceiling heights.” Maria and partner Juan Puricelli own SUR Architecture. The couple met while studying architecture in their home country of Argentina before travelling to New Zealand around 20 years ago. Their company had its beginnings in 2009. Both Maria and Juan work together closely at the ideas and concept stage of a project. Once the project has a clear direction one of them takes the lead, in the case of the East Taieri project it was Maria. “We like to work very closely with the client, listening to their intentions and needs then working hard to deliver a project that will respond to that,” explains Maria. SUR Architecture offers a full suite of architectural services from concept design to developed and detailed documentation including building permits. All projects integrate energy strategies at every stage to deliver high performance buildings. The company’s projects include proposals for new builds and retrofit for existing houses. PLACEMAKERS DUNEDIN & MOSGIEL PLACEMAKERSDUNEDIN & MOSGIEL 50 BURNS ST & 34 CARNCROSS ST (03) 466 4617 PROUDLY SUPPORTING SUR ARCHITECTURE
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