Showhomes > Whatever the weather

Whatever the weather

Coastal living certainly has its appeal. There's something especially liberating and calming about gazing out across the ocean – whether it's churning with white caps or sparkling like diamonds. And the New Zealand coastline is becoming increasingly sought-after, with stunning beachfront properties regularly snapped up by overseas buyers.

Fortunately, given our unique geography, there's still a lot of coast left for Kiwis to enjoy. And that's just what Steve Pilbrow from Pilbrow Residential had in mind when he built this six-level showhome at Tamworth Crescent in Wellington. Situated in the elevated suburb of Newlands, it enjoys spectacular 180-degree views of Wellington Harbour, the city, Petone and the Hutt Valley.

“We wanted to create a home that had impact,” says Steve. “We think that we came up with something really special. On the first day the home was open for viewing, we had 500 people through.”

Mike Davies from Hunt Davies Tennent Architects designed the house to take advantage of the spectacular views, while at the same time providing a sense of privacy and protection from the sometimes harsh environment.

The design features two solid, Linea Weatherboard-clad cubic elements that wrap around a more lightweight and transparent cube featuring glazing and ExoTec panel cladding.

With its mix of Linea weatherboard and ExoTec panels, the house reflects two current trends in architectural design. It is a perfect example of the visual appeal that can be achieved by combining different cladding materials; and it also demonstrates how successfully commercial- or industrial-look materials can be used in a residential setting.

“With the increased exposure to contemporary architecture on TV shows and in magazines, New Zealanders' tastes are becoming a lot more sophisticated,” says architect Mike Davies. “With this home, we used ExoTec panels, in combination with the Linea weatherboards, to reinforce the architectural composition. The solid, Linea-clad cubes provide the shelter, while the more lightweight cube is clad in flush ExoTec panels with extensive glazing to capture the views.”

Mike says the exposed location of the site meant materials had to be carefully selected to withstand the demanding conditions. Weathertightness and mitigating the effects of the harsh climate were significant issues.

“We wanted the look of weatherboards, and we liked the stability that Linea weatherboards offered,” he says. “This, together with a rigid air barrier and cavity, meant that better weather protection could be achieved.”

Pilbrow Residential has a long-established relationship with James Hardie, and Steve says the company frequently uses Linea weatherboard on its projects.

“Linea is a very popular product in the market and we certainly push it as a good option due to its longevity and weathertightness,” he says. “With the salt-laden winds that we get up here, it was vital to have a cladding material that could last the distance and require minimal maintenance. Another great feature of Linea is that you can paint it whatever colour you want – unlike a lot of the plaster products available, which come with a lot of colour restrictions.”

Steve also insisted on using Rigid Air Barrier (RAB) Board as a wind-proof building wrap behind the Linea weatherboard. Used frequently in medium and high-rise construction, RAB Board is designed to withstand the impact of high winds and prevent moisture reaching the timber frame.

“We've been using similar products for some time, and recently switched to James Hardie's new RAB Board,” he says. “We found it great, and have used it on the whole house. It gives excellent peace of mind that the house will be able to withstand all the rigours of the natural elements.”