Spotswood Shed

Engaged to design a home for a couple who had lived on the same land for 40 years, architectural designer Ben Brady was met with a challenging but beautiful rural site. Situated roughly halfway between Christchurch and Kaikōura on the east coast, Spotswood is a sleepy little region. Known for its pastoral history, it’s a place of wide landscapes and rolling hills. Ben’s clients had formerly lived in a frameless 1980s house, and, having spent four decades living on the land, they knew the site well — the aspects they enjoyed the most and specific elements they wanted to make the most of. The damage done to their house by the earthquakes created an opportunity to make better use of the site with a modern take on their former home.

A linear, rectangular form, the main part of the house — including the kitchen, living areas, and guest bedrooms — sits in front of what was intentionally designed to look like an addition, and houses the main bedroom and en suite. Utilising a combination of two COLORSTEEL® tones, Lichen and Windsor Grey, oriented vertically and horizontally, Ben captures the imagination of the visitor with a home that feels perfectly fitting on the crest of a hill on this working farm yet delivers an innovative approach to shelter, with areas that offer deft and subtle movements between indoors and out.

COLORSTEEL® Lichen, a versatile colour with hints of brown and olive and khaki undertones, and COLORSTEEL® Windsor Grey, a deep, dynamic grey, blend effortlessly into the environment throughout the year, complementing the deep green fields and, equally, the earthen hues when the grasses brown. Using this combination of tones, Ben captures the imagination of the visitor with a home that feels perfectly fitting on the crest of a hill on this working farm yet delivers an innovative approach to shelter, with areas that offer deft and subtle movements between indoors and out.

Words courtesy of HOME Magazine.