SCHOOL ZONES:
Waimauku Primary School, Massey
High School
CONTACT:
Shane Romani, ph 021 889 906
FEATURES:
*Off-street parking for 6 cars
From its commanding position high on a hill near Muriwai Beach, Corban and Alex Walls' spectacular house looks like it was specially designed to make the most of its stunning site.
Yet the concept of the unique home was dreamed up long before Corban found the piece of land. A keen surfer, he happened to mention to his mate, Fraser Horton, that he'd like to live at Muriwai.
"I could get a couple of containers and build a house," he suggested.
So, four years ago, the friends combined their talents - Corban is an engineer, Fraser an architect - to collaborate on the home, which ended up being built from six 12m-long High-Cube containers in a warehouse in Silverdale.
Along the way, Corban found a section in a new development just a couple of minutes from the beach. The house was moved on to the land, where it slotted into the landscape perfectly, its thoughtful design making the most of the site.
Shortly afterwards Corban met Alex, now his wife, and she used her skills with colour and fabrics - she's a buyer for a fashion chain - to help with interior design.
"It was a real joint effort," says Corban. "It was a lot of hard work, and pretty ambitious, but I couldn't be happier with the end result."
The house looks deceptively simple, but is, in fact, very clever, without a single centimetre of wasted space. At one end, two containers were used to form the entry, Alex's workroom and the master bedroom with en suite and walk-in closet. There's also a laundry and storage space hidden behind sliding doors.
Two more containers were used to create the open-plan living area, dining space and kitchen in the central part of the house. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors on either side let light flood in and can be opened right up to outdoors. One set of doors opens to a private, sheltered courtyard while the other leads to a generous deck with wide views.
At the far end of the house the final two containers have been used to create a TV room, guest room, bathroom and Corban's office. There's yet another deck, this one stepping down to a freestanding outdoor bath.
The exterior is clad in macrocarpa, which is perfect for the rural setting. Offcuts of the timber have been used throughout the house, such as the sliding cupboard doors and a bedhead in the master bedroom. They add a rustic touch to the home's semi-industrial feel.
Alex found a happy compromise between Corban's yearning for minimalism and her preference for pops of colour while making sure the home's interior did not jar with the views of rolling hills and bush.
Other special touches include a wall of metal panels, made from sections cut out of the containers, which swivel to reveal the courtyard behind.
"A lot of thought went into every aspect of this house," says Corban. "I'm a bit of a perfectionist."
Image 1 of 9: 71c Taiapa Valley Road, Muriwai. Photo / Michelle Hyslop
The result is a contemporary, stylish home that has graced the pages of a glossy design magazine, and will also appear in a book about modern New Zealand homes.
The couple love living so close to the beach and other natural attractions in the area, such as the Hillary Trail nearby. It's also a short walk to scenic Mokoroa Falls.
Corban had envisaged staying "forever and ever" but the need to be closer to family and Alex's work means they are parting reluctantly with the house. "It's the kind of house where people just walk in and go, 'wow'. I would like to build another home like this again, but it will be hard to find such an incredible spot again."
