Mt Eden 339

It manages to both invite the gaze of passers-by, and to provide privacy for its inhabitants, with a design that celebrates the best Auckland has to offer in terms of natural beauty and urban grit.

A bunker-like concrete garage at the fence-line provides a buffer against the noise of the road, while to the right, the eye is pulled to a large scale window that looks straight through the property to the tree lined valley beyond. The house is clad in COLORSTEEL Ironsand®, a colour which merges seamlessly with the natural settings to the west and east of the site. The cladding was chosen for its durability and easy care, explains Dave.

“After having owned a transitional villa and a couple of bungalows, we were after a cladding that required only cleaning maintenance as opposed to constant preparation and repainting of weatherboards,” he says.

Ironsand cladding is a perfect contrast to concrete

The depth of this tray profile creates strong shadows

An espan® profile was chosen in part for its stability - this profile can take on greater spans, meaning less timber framework required in the construction phase - and for its looks. “The espan® profile casts strong shadows with its 50mm depth, and it creates a nice contrast with the robustness of the raw, in-situ concrete. Also, the ribs on the roof allow easy side fixing for our large array of solar panels” says Dave.

With multi-use rooms and peaceful, internal gardens, this urban house caters to a growing extended family, while also providing a private, easy-care home for Dave and his wife Colleen to enjoy for many years to come.