The house has been well positioned for maximum solar gain but also to tap into the incredible views of bush and farmlands. Photo / Emma Steiner
The house has been well positioned for maximum solar gain but also to tap into the incredible views of bush and farmlands. Photo / Emma Steiner
Two Waikato designers have been awarded top honours at this year's Waikato Regional ADNZ Resene Architectural Design Awards for houses built in Cambridge.
The awards announced last Friday celebrate the greatest architectural designs New Zealand has to offer for projects in commercial and residential categories. The winning Waikato designers are Daniel Cullen of Cullen Keiser Architecture and Lee Turner of Turner Road Architecture.
Amongst the Gully
Cullen won the Regional Residential New Home over 300sq m award for his work on Amongst the Gully. Located on a steep, bush site in rural Cambridge, the contemporary home was carefully designed to suit the steep contour of the land and placed to leave the native fauna undisturbed.
The master bedroom and living areas have been cleverly cantilevered out over the gully. Photo / Emma Steiner
Positioned for maximum solar gain and to showcase the incredible views of the surrounding bush and farmland, the master bedroom and living areas are cantilevered over the gully into the tranquil bush. Entering the home, you are greeted by a harmony of plywood and masonry block.
This connects you to the natural surroundings through the raw sustainable materials. Extensive glazing allows sunlight, warmth and highlights the views.
ADNZ judges said the home has been successfully designed to suit the steep contour of the land and carefully placed "almost like you are floating amongst the gully vegetation".
"The house has been well positioned for maximum solar gain but also to tap into the incredible views of the surrounding native New Zealand bush and Waikato farmlands," the panel said.
Turner also won the Regional Residential New Home over 300sq m Award and the Regional Resene Colour in Design Award for his work on Stepped Ridge House.
The low-profile roof emphasises the stepped design and relationship of spaces to the landscape. Photo / Amanda Aitken
A contemporary low-lying home, it steps down the natural contour of the ridge in the foothills of Maungakawa mountain, providing expansive, panoramic views of the plains below. A low-profile, multi-pod home, it has been built into the sloping ridge, meaning minimal disruption to the skyline. It has been constructed with raw textures and a colour palette drawn from nature.
Judges said the generous, dramatic and yet grounded home comfortably steps down the natural contours of the terrain, revealing a series of spaces to inhabit and vantage points to indulge in.
The house drinks up the views but respectfully sinks into the view for others. Photo / Amanda Aitken
"Raw materials and textures have been meticulously selected and detailed to flatter and not compete with the surrounding landscape. The house drinks up the views but respectfully sinks into the view for others.
"The low-profile roof emphasises the stepped design and relationship of spaces to the landscape. An elegant play on a sense of refuge and outlook," said the judging panel.
Architectural Designers New Zealand CEO, Keryn Davis, said: "These beautiful homes celebrate escapism and a raw, natural aesthetic that allows you to relax and be transported. It is fantastic to see our members taking cues from the whenua and making the most of our incredible landscapes."
The national awards will be on Friday, October 28 at Te Pae in Christchurch.
