support deep, sheltering overhangs.
Not surprisingly, the house has already
caught the attention of judges in the
Manawatu/Wanganui Registered Master
Builders House of the Year Awards 2015,
winning multiple awards. The project
won the Placemakers New Home $400,000
to $500,000 Gold Award, the Local Cat-
egory Award, Plumbing World Bathroom
Excellence Lifestyle Award, Local Crafts-
manship Gold Award and Lighting
Lifestyle Award.
“To complement the green of the
trees and countryside, the design team
specified a mixed palette for the exterior,”
Walker says. “Off-white Rockcote plas-
ter is contrasted with tea-coloured Linea
weatherboards, matching aluminium
joinery and a mid-grey roof. High gables
reinforce the scale of the architecture.”
The generous proportions are also in
evidence on the interior, which is light,
airy and spacious. The front door opens to
a vast hallway that is not just the main cir-
culation area, but also provides a gallery,
library, office nook and cosy seating area.
Above left and top: A high gabled roofline and
large overhangs enhance the character of this new
rural home near Palmerston North. Designed and
built by Fowler Homes Manawatu, the house has
won five major awards in this year’s Manawatu/
Wanganui Registered Master Builders of the Year
Awards. The exterior features low-maintenance
Rockcote plaster and Linea weatherboard. Large
areas of decking create plenty of space for outdoor
living.
Above: When is a hallway not a hallway? This wide
circulation area is also a library and gallery – and
there is even an office area and cosy seating nook.