The new look in contemporary New Zealand architecture.
Over the past year on TV Showhomes we've visited some wonderful new homes around New Zealand and we've had the opportunity to talk to lots of top architects, home designers and builders not only about the homes that we've featured on TV, but also about emergent design trends in New Zealand architecture.
One of the most notable trends over the past 12 – 18 months is a move towards what some architects and designers are describing as a distinctively New Zealand style – creating a very contemporary look by using innovative combinations of cladding materials.
Notable trends:
Using a combination of cladding products to ‘break out of the box'. Given that most houses are essentially rectangular, a combination of exterior cladding materials can help to break up and define exterior spaces. See Ultimate Homes Showhome, Moyle home, Mitchell Homes Showhome.
Contrasting flat surfaces with the shadowlines of Linea® Weatherboards. Many designers are moving away from the European look created by very flat surfaces and no eaves, to a more uniquely New Zealand style that combines those flat surfaces with the more traditional look of strong shadowlines created by Linea Weatherboards. See Ultimate Homes Showhome, Moyle home, Mitchell Homes Showhome, Regency Designer Homes Showhome.
Using a strong combination of colours, or picking up lighter and darker shades of the same tone to highlight the cladding combinations and create interest. See Lally home, Ultimate Homes Showhome, Moyle home.
Using express-jointed Titan® Panel to create strong negative detail and a semi-commercial or industrial look. See Moyle home, Lally home.
The use of Titan Panel in areas other than exterior walls – for example on garage doors and even interior walls. See Lally home, designHaus at Omaha.
Greater consideration of the design effect of soffits. For example, painting HardieGroove™ Lining in a dark colour to match the Linea Weatherboard. Or using express-jointed Hardipanel to match the express-jointed Titan Panel. See Ultimate Homes Showhome, Moyle home.
Using Linea Weatherboard and Titan Panelin combination on beach houses – not only for it's low-maintenance qualities, but also to replicate the feeling of traditional baches that often evolved organically using a variety of cladding materials. See Lally home, The Boatshed, designHaus at Omaha.
The use of Linea Weatherboard or Monotek Sheet on chimneys, either used in contrast, or in harmony with the surrounding cladding to create a strong sculptural statement. See Lally home, Mitchell Homes Showhome.
What the architects and builders are saying:
Ultimate Homes designer, Philip Bidwell used a combination of Monotek and Linea on their Christchurch show home to de-emphasise the regular confines of an essentially rectangular home.
“I wanted to create a series of visual steps to break up the exterior of the house and define the outdoor spaces,” says Philip. “We did that by using a combination of MonotekandLinea. I wanted the solidity and the waterproofing that Monotek offers, it's got a very substantial feel. The Linea was chosen to provide another texture that works in contrast to the Monotek.”
The HardieGroove Lining on the soffits are also notable on this house – finished in the same dark colour as the Linea Weatherboard and the cedar shades – they create a feeling of deep shadow under the eaves.
Another interesting technique used on this home was the short Linea Weatherboard-clad walls built perpendicular to the house which frame the outdoor living spaces and create a strong sculptural effect.
Read more about theUltimate Homes Showhome.
The Mitchell Showhome built on Auckland's North Shore also used a combination of James Hardie Linea Weatherboard and Monotek Sheets.
“We wanted to build a showhome that really stood out, that looked contemporary, and used the building products in an innovative and stylish way,” says Brent Mitchell.
“We used a combination of cladding materials, to give the home more interest. The Linea and Monotek combination is a good one because the traditional shadow lines of the Linea weatherboard contrast nicely with the flatter, more contemporary look of the Monotek which has been used to great effect particularly on the chimney and pillars.
“The quality of exterior cladding is obviously very important to people buying new homes today, so it was important to use building materials and methods that ensured that peace of mind, but still provided a very contemporary look. The Linea looks great and ensures low maintenance because it doesn't shrink or swell in New Zealand's changeable weather.”
Read more about the Mitchell Homes Showhome.
In Mount Maunganui, at the new Lally family bach, a combination of James Hardie Linea Weatherboards and Titan Panel was used. Both materials were chosen for their aesthetic appearance as well as their durability in this harsh coastal environment.
“The Linea makes a strong reference back to the timber weatherboards of the original bach and the smooth-finished Titan panels give a clean modern aesthetic that takes the strong Resene Pohutakawa Red colour well and works in contrast with the shadow lines of the Linea which was painted in Resene Taupe Grey,” explains architect Richard Mauriohooho.
“Making the decision to go with Linea and Titan panels was the easy part,” says owner Brendan Lally. In this location, right on the coast, the materials have to be really robust to withstand the sand, sun and salt air. The great thing about Linea is that it replicates the traditional weatherboard look, without the maintenance. That's important for a family beach house like this. None of us want to spend our time working on the place.”
Read more about the Lally home.
Just down the road is the Moyle home, another stunning Mt Maunganui home – also clad in a combination of express-joined Titan Panel and Linea Weatherboard.
Built by builder, Shannon Moyle for himself and his partner, Patria, the home was awarded third place in the national finals of the Registered Master Builder House of the Year Awards, Builder's Own Home. It's not hard to see why. The home oozes style, but was built by Moyle Construction on a very affordable budget.
They kept costs down by being well organised and sourcing quality building products that created the impact they were looking for.
“I really like the semi-industrial look you can achieve with express-jointed Titan,” says Shannon. The negative detailing reminds me of the look of pre-fab concrete panels. It's a minimal flat look with a bit of guts and it works well in contrast with the shadow lines of the Linea. I also liked the fact that, as a builder, it was something I could use, rather than having to call in a contractor to achieve a plastered finish.”
“I used 8mm panels on the walls and 6mm panels on the soffits. The soffits are also express jointed, picking up the line from the panels. I like the idea of expressing the lines and using the joints to create a grid effect which is carried right through the detailing of the house inside and out.”
The Titan Panel and the in-seal strips between the panels are finished in ResenePortland, with a ¼ strength finish on the soffits. The James Hardie Linea, chosen by Shannon for its ability to take a dark colour, is finished in ReseneBokara Grey.
Shannon has also made interesting and original use of Titan panels on the garage door. 10mm Titan panels have been fixed to a steel frame using stainless steel bolts as a feature, which gives the door a semi-industrial riveted look.
“I like drawing attention to the way it's constructed – the bolts look great against the dark grey finish of the Titan,” explains Shannon.
Read more about the Moyle home.
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