A 400 m² resort-style home in precast concrete, built on a patch of grass with a view and awarded Gold in the 2016 House of the Year awards.
- Client
- Private client
- Services
- Structural and civil engineering
- Location
- West Auckland
- Scale
- 400 m²
- Status
- Complete 2016
01 / Project overview
The brief
The semi-retired owners wanted to turn a patch of grass with a promising view into a luxury, resort-style home, a stone’s throw from the city. They wanted a house built for entertaining, with an open-plan kitchen and dining area that flows between indoors and out to the pool.
We were the structural and civil engineers, designing the 400 m² home alongside Patterson Architects. Because we did both, one team took the project from bare section to finished home, and the building and the site were designed together.
02 / Our approach
How we delivered it
Precast concrete walls
The house is enclosed by precast concrete walls, which do two jobs at once. They are the main structure, and they give the interior its industrial character. Because the panels are made off site and lifted into place, they arrive as finished walls with the structural strength and the look the owners wanted.
Large openings for light and views
The owners wanted big windows to bring in light and frame views of the pool and the Auckland harbour beyond. Every large opening cuts into a wall that is also holding the house up, so we planned the openings and the structure together from the start. That let the glass be as generous as the views deserved without compromising stability.
Site and civil works
As civil engineers, we turned an empty grassed section into a site ready for a large home, a pool and outdoor living areas. Designing the civil works alongside the structure meant the house, pool and outdoor spaces were planned as one connected setting.
03 / The outcome
“A contemporary, resort-style home for its owners to enjoy, awarded Gold in the 2016 Registered Master Builders House of the Year awards (New Homes over $2 million, Auckland/Northland).”
04 / Gallery
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