KEY POINTS:
A home with a minimalist look incorporates tactile and earthy elements to give it warmth.
24 Hukanui Cr, Herne Bay.
Urban Sanctuary was the title of the poem architect David Ponting created as the starting point for conceptualising his latest work. "It sums up what I think people are looking for in an inner-city context: peace, privacy and beauty," he says. "It's a retreat but there's urbanity to it."
The zinc and glass exterior of the newly completed home conveys a sense of austerity, but layers of detail and texture lend warmth to the inside courtesy of liberal use of sandstone tiling, marble bench-tops and American oak joinery. David describes the overriding mood of the interior as one of "cool modernism but warm and tactile, too". He says that many elements in the house possess an organic quality and imbue an overall degree of subtle "earthiness" seldom found in essentially minimal residences.
Appliances are well hidden in the pale, clean-lined kitchen. The double oven, double sink and gleaming tap are virtually the only clues that this area is designated for food preparation. David's aim was to achieve a "discreet and classical" kitchen. Tall white cupboards aligned vertically along one wall open to reveal carefully calibrated spaces for the sound system, wine storage, serving of drinks and so on.
"Working with a small site is a bit like designing a boat," says David. Maximising the available storage space was a priority.
An in-situ concrete wall separates the family living area from the intimate sitting room. On the family side, the wall contains a sleek, bespoke gas fire set in a bed of white pebbles and a recess for a television screen. On the other side cantilevered pre-cast concrete treads provide access to the upper floor. As well as fulfilling several practical purposes, this sandstone-clad wall is also a striking sculptural feature.
The sitting room, positioned between the floating staircase inside and the 14m lap pool outside, is framed by glass on three sides. Connections to the outdoors abound. Strategically-placed skylights permit glimpses of blue sky by day and twinkling stars by night. Sunlight dappled by the nearby mature elm tree bounces off the swimming pool to dance on the adjacent plaster wall.
Full-height battens of American oak are used at the edge of the stairs and on the upper level, satisfying safety requirements and also, according to David, "creating drama, and giving lightness and movement to the space". Three bedrooms and two bathrooms (one en suite) are upstairs where the hallway widens to create a zone that could be used as a library, homework or additional television area.
The bathroom vanities were designed to feel more like pieces of furniture than built-in functional items. Likewise the table-top basins and freestanding bath are presented and experienced as objects in their own right rather than standard plumbing fixtures.
For such an innovative structure, the language David uses to encapsulate it verges on the prosaic.
"There's a white shed to one side and a black box floating above," he says. The white shed is the double garage while the black box is the zinc-clad upper storey featuring wide fully-adjustable external shutters. "You can completely close it up," says David. "There's a sense that you can hibernate over winter."
Developer Richard Thode of Nikau Living is enthusiastic about the design. "From my perspective I loved what I saw," he says, adding that that he was very pleased to secure the site back in September 2005. "Bare land is pretty rare in this area."
Richard believes this home would equally suit a professional couple or a young family. David thinks it's ideal for "the hip baby-boomer with a beautiful bach at Omaha who is unwilling to compromise when it comes to a city pad".
VITAL STATISTICS
BEDROOMS: 3
BATHROOMS: 2+
GARAGES: 2
SIZE: Land 400sq m, house 260sq m.
PRICE INDICATION: Interest expected above $1.8 million. Sale by negotiation.
INSPECT: Sunday 1-1.45pm or by appointment.
ON THE WEB: www.bayleys.co.nz # 42093
SCHOOL ZONES: Bayfield School, Ponsonby Intermediate, Auckland Girls Grammar School, Western Springs College.
CONTACT: Amy Olsen and Jonathan Sissons, Bayleys, ph 309 6020 bus, Amy 021 878 435, Jonathan 021 680 086.
FEATURES: New architect-designed, two-storey, north-facing home with streamlined kitchen by Cronin Kitchens, landscaping by Second Nature, separate study, powder room, laundry and double garage with internal access. Also features under-floor heating, security alarm, and wiring for sound and data.
