Coast&Country - Let there be light

After living in gloomy English houses, a couple wanted a home filled with light.

17 Treetops Way, Albany.

When Jennifer Ashworth returned to New Zealand after more than 20 years of living in England, she had a simple instruction for her architect.

``I asked for high ceilings and big windows,'' she says, standing in the central well of the three-storey Malcolm Walker-designed house just over the border of Glenfield into Albany.

``I was fed up with living in old English houses with no light.'' The stairs rise to a gallery which connects to a bedroom on each corner, each with an en suite bathroom and views of bush.

There is a window at the top of the well which can be opened for cooling breezes but closes automatically at the first splash of rain.

More stairs go down to a garage large enough for three of four cars. Running along the outside wall is a three-lane, heated, 12.5m lap pool, protected from the weather by sloping glass panels.

``My husband John wanted it in the garage, but this was a compromise,'' says Jennifer.

The middle floor contains the living areas. A library or office with built-in bookshelves is on one side of the front hallway, a large living room with a generous fireplace on the other.

The firebox is ducted to carry heat through the house. There are also solar panels to cut down on water heating bills.

The kitchen is large and light. Storage space is provided by a walk-in pantry which has space for the fridge. The dining or family room is connected to the kitchen by a wide door which slides into the wall, allowing it to become a more intimate space if required.

``It's a compromise between a European space and the Kiwi open plan,'' says Jennifer.

Their architect pushed for a deck which was larger than the Ashworths first envisaged, but which they have since found suits the climate.

A large pergola, which is covered by a white wisteria in the summer, means the deck becomes an outside room to enjoy the balmy summer evenings.

Sunny days are also the time to enjoy the rest of the property. By going to three storeys built against a slope, the Ashworths were able to get a large amount of living space into a relatively small footprint on a 1500sq m title.

They also have the adjoining 3500sq m section, which includes a knoll which would be suitable for a house site and a forested slope leading down to a stream with glow worms along the banks.

The Ashworths cut a walking track to the bottom, and Jennifer likes to come and sit on a seat halfway down among the young kauri trees.

``The dappled light is gorgeous where the sun comes through the trees, and there are tui, pigeons and fantails.''

She says the property has the feel of a country retreat while being on the edge of the city, close to public transport.

Health reasons mean the Ashworths are giving up the house after eight years, and Jennifer says she will miss the peace.

VITAL STATISTICS

BEDROOMS: 4

BATHROOMS: 4

GARAGES: 3+

SIZE: Land 5103sq m, house 330sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: CV (2005) $1 million. Auction September 6.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 2.30-3.30pm.

CONTACT: Tanya Ibbetson or Angeline Wong, Bayleys, ph 09 414 0950, 021 392 605 (Tanya), 021 730 688 (Angeline).

ON THE WEB: www.open2view.com # 133760

FEATURES: Three-level architect-designed home on a double section. Indoor lap pool, solar heating, kauri forest with track, stream and glow worms.