On being neighbourly

Our third design for a new residential development in Glenbrook, Auckland, marks a return to a context-responsive typology. Building form, the materiality and the openness to the streetscape nod to the local vernacular, where the front verandah is a recurrent feature - here reinterpreted to maximise outdoor living space, making the most of north-oriented frontage whilst engaging neighbours and passers-by. A continuous bi-folding screen wraps the northern and western elevations, allowing the end-users to control light and visual permeability. The dissolution of the boundaries between indoors and outdoors and the introduction of pockets of seating throughout the living spaces provide ample opportunities for social interaction and different ways of inhabiting space.
The site enjoys views of the Waiuku River to the South and the Taihiki River to the North.
Another four designs to come.

A kind home for kind people.

What a rewarding opportunity it is to be trusted to design someone's forever home - especially if they are cherished, dear friends.
The couple, in their seventies, are the kindest, humble and most compassionate humans around. They breathe joy and enthusiasm for life at every second. They are people of the land and, more often than not, can be found in their extensive organic veggie garden.
The brief: a 90m2 home to accommodate two bedrooms, an open living, and implement sustainable materials and solutions.
The concept draws from the rural vernacular and nods to the traditional farmhouses that populate our public imaginary: the surrounding verandah, the tectonics of post and beam and their expressed connections, robust materials and finishes but ultimately, deference to its context - sitting respectfully on the land.
Passive and active design strategies will work together to promote thermal comfort all year round: the generous verandah protecting the living spaces from excessive solar heating during the hot months; large and strategic openings on the North-south axis promoting cross-ventilation; a low-emission wood burner will provide up to 8kW of heat during the cold months; and finally, the positive northern orientation will make the most of the 10kW photovoltaic array - more than enough for the couple's daily needs.

two cubic forms, expressing distinct but complementary qualities

We at Huis Design have been busy working with incredible people and projects. This project is one of them.
Our clients, a well-travelled, open-minded and design-literate young couple and their toddler. The brief: to fuse the essence of the works of Tadao Ando - one of the most influential Japanese architects to date - with contemporary Australian architecture, with its warm and minimalist interiors into a cohesive and site-responsive building.
The result, a juxtaposition of two cubic forms, expressing distinct but complementary qualities. The serene and composed concrete upper volume and the textural, evocative timber ground floor. Together, a picture reminiscent of Tadao's work.
The interior assumes an entirely different identity, bringing soft textures and abundant natural light, creating a sense of warmth and stillness.

More to come.

Emergent Forms | A house in the Matata hills.

Emergent Forms | A house in the Matata hills.
We feel tremendously privileged to work on projects like this - with amazing clients, where there is a genuine connection, shared values and a spectacular site to treat with the utmost respect.
Located at The Matata Conservation Estate, the site abounds native vegetation with breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean, Moutohora (Whale) Island and glimpses of Putauaki (Mount Edgecumbe) captured between the trees.
The brief - a celebration of simple living, a rationalised programme and reverence to the site and its context - was shared with trust and respect for our holistic approach. As a result, two buildings emergent from a diagrammatic exploration of the site morphology, access to sunlight and positive response to the views.
Robust, low-maintenance materials establish a shared language between the garage and main house - and a common goal: to seemingly integrate the building in its context, subduing its presence and emphasising the views.

Gordon Road House

Gordon Road House

More than a "face-lift", the changes we proposed to this 1950's house in Mount Maunganui maximises living areas, optimises circulation and creates a series of multi-purpose spaces for the larger family, providing flexibility and ultimately future-proofing the building.
The redefined middle-portion of the building dissects the two existing bedroom wings and with that, a new architectural language has been adopted, grounding the building in its time but not without respect for the existing structure and neighbouring properties. The roofline was lowered towards the street front, mitigating its visual impact on the streetscape, then raked towards the rear boundary, following the site topography and paralleling the existing roofline.
The material palette reflects the coastal context while also maintaining a level of deference towards the existing structure.
The concept was presented to the clients this morning and the green light was given to proceed to the next stages.

New year, New Project.

New year, new project.

It's 2021, and we at Huis Design are ready for a year of meaningful, impactful projects. We're more committed than ever to make positive contributions to the built environment, in synergy with nature.
And to kickstart us on that renewed commitment towards meaningful architecture here's a small project which embodies those qualities.
Located in the hills of Matata, the site commands stunning vistas from all directions. The clients are down-to-earth, deeply connected to nature and passionate custodians of their land.
The design, although small, had to honour both the qualities of the site and clients. The project imbues passive design principles to address climatic comfort all year-round, sustainable materials, solar panels, rainwater harvest, as well as ground-source underfloor heating, combining to form a zero-energy building well-integrated into its environment. The building faces north, with unobstructed views of the ocean. The sleeping space is positioned in the northeast portion of the building, enjoys the morning sun whilst allowing for evening cooling, supporting humans' circadian rhythms. The open living areas are in the northwest quadrant, with extensive glazing framing stunning sunsets whilst also providing passive heating for the cold evenings. This space reflects most the clients' lifestyle: an absence of a TV with the fireplace as the anchoring element - here overlayed with the views.
The breezeway separates living and sleeping providing semi-sheltered space, extending the potential uses for the clients. More importantly, it provides a "buffer" in the automaticity of our lives - an opportunity to experience the weather, the views, before engaging in mundane tasks.
Oversized eaves protect the small spaces from excessive sunlight during the hot months whilst allowing the low-winter sun to penetrate the living spaces. The southern portion of the building carries services and storage, adding mass to the thermal envelope, minimising infiltration and transmission losses. The living spaces are anchored around the fireplace - here overlayed with the ocean vistas.
More to come.
Watch this space.

Otira Close

Here are the fresh photos from the now completed project, at Otira Close.
The design pays careful attention to its context - the dunes, the beach and a lively intersection. Scale and proportions played a crucial role in managing the building interface with public space, minimising its visual dominance in the corner. The predominant cladding was chosen in deference to the dunes, while dark accents reinforce the subtractions in the main volume, mitigating the building perceived scale in its context. The rationalised forms - here scaled-up to meet the clients’ brief and provide visual access to the sea - makes a subtle reference to the simplicity of the emblematic kiwi bach.
Photos by: Amanda Aitken