SCHOOL ZONES:
Orakei School, St Joseph’s Primary School and Selwyn College.
CONTACT:
Mike Zelcer, Ray White, 021 934 240.
AUCTION:
December 10.
We went to at least 100 open homes when we started our property search," says Andrew Ensor, cringing at the memory.
"At around No80 we became seriously despondent." His partner, Mandy Morgan, agrees. "It was hard work and eventually we decided it would be better to buy a section and build."
Even finding land proved difficult but eventually the pair happened upon a large section in Orakei where a state house with panoramic city views had been "updated" in the mid-80s with spectacularly bad results.
"Basically with all that they'd done it had become "leaky", so after buying the section, Andrew and I pulled it down -- practically by hand," says Mandy.
"They'd retained the matai floorboards and native timber beams so we kept those for the new houses."
Though they'd never built before, when Andrew and Mandy set to work on the first of two homes on the site, they discovered they were a good team.
He's a lecturer at AUT and is involved in SKA, a worldwide effort to build the most powerful radio-telescope ever, in the hope of understanding the universe better, so it goes without saying that the new-build is high-tech.
The security system is so sophisticated that you could be sitting in New York and see an intruder -- although they'd be hard-put to break in -- and the house has keyless entry.
Fully insulated with double glazing and a hydronic underfloor heating system plus photovoltaic panels for electricity generation and import, the property is smart in the energy sense as well as aesthetically pleasing.
Mandy works in the beauty business so her eye for design has been equally important.
Together, they engaged architect Daniel Marshall who produced a sleek and compact design that still allowed plenty of space for outdoor living.
A concrete and cedar frame encloses an interior where polished concrete sits happily alongside the aforementioned matai floorboards.
"Sometimes people look surprised at seeing concrete walls, but it really works," says Mandy.
A spacious atrium inside the front door immediately imparts a sense of airy spaciousness. A large pendant light from EEC is suitably imposing.
The kitchen is relatively simple in terms of design but it is well-equipped with top-quality appliances from Miele and Gagganau. The living and dining space has been carefully designed to be warm in winter and cool in summer. It's all smart pre-wired to accommodate a new owner's technology.
Up the polished concrete stairs lie three bedrooms. The two doubles each enjoy pleasant views and are intersected by a sunny sitting room. There's also a small office that could be used as a fourth bedroom.
The laundry is here, too, cleverly concealed in a large cupboard space.
"I didn't want it to be downstairs because that doesn't make sense to me," Mandy says.
"It seems much more logical to have it near where you'll be putting clothes and bedding in the wash."
Image 1 of 7: A scientist has put his skills to work at home -- creating a high-tech, energy efficient and aesthetically pleasing space that has the added bonus of a sophisticated security system
The master suite has its own bathroom and a vast wardrobe/dressing room. It opens on to a balcony, which wraps around the corner and can also be reached via the sitting room.
The landscaping is new but it's already taking off nicely. It had been planned that Andrew's mother might live here. "Unfortunately, she can't manage the stairs," says Mandy.
The pair are building another home at the front of the section for themselves.
"We've learned a lot doing this one so now we're applying it there. Of course, it goes without saying that we can guarantee that the new owners of this house will have nice neighbours."
