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Architects: a.k.a Architecture
- Area: 229 m²
- Year: 2014
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Photographs:Nic Nelson
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Manufacturers: APL NZ, APL Vantage, Carter Holt Harvey, ITI Timspec, Metro, Metro Glazing
Text description provided by the architects. The Nelson House is situated on a rise overlooking Kapiti Island and the coastal residences of Waikanae Beach. The clients brief was for a house that was quintessentially ‘Kiwi’ in its’ aesthetic and materiality. With a love of timber weatherboards, plywood and concrete, it became important to include these materials in the house in an honest and integral way. Due to the sloping nature of the site and the need to have a division between the owners’ day-to-day living spaces and guest accommodation, the plan required a split from the start – whether horizontal or vertical in nature.
The concrete spine wall serves as a divider between the two distinct building forms (one clad in weatherboard, the other ‘service’ area clad in plywood) and also a heat-sink for the fire, maintaining a uniform heat during the colder winter months. The dual roof forms collide over the dining/gallery area with a clear intersection of the two highlighted over the central fireplace.
Timber has been used in its’ natural form throughout, with natural stains to allow the texture and grain of the wood to gleam through.
