Trends New Zealand NZ New Home Trends Vol. 30/4 | Page 50

Light from the frosted glass roofs
floods the stairwells, penetrating all floors,
including the kitchen, which has a glazed
wall behind the display cabinets.
Sparks says the living spaces have an
intimacy and warmth that may be unexpected, due to the large size of the house.
“Contrary to the dynamic form, the
interior is very relaxed and casual. With
the bridges and lookout tower it even
has a playful feel, and is reminiscent of a
treehouse. Recycled materials reinforce
the look.”

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Sparks says there are also many nooks
and daybeds – places where the family
can sit and enjoy the view. Even the
railing on the main deck off the living
room is wide enough to serve as a breakfast bar. The balustrade slopes away so
chairs can be tucked beneath the bar.
Consideration for the view determined
the height of the living room platform as
well. This is elevated above the deck so the
views are not obstructed by the railing.
Key architectural elements also inform
the viewing experience. For example,

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timber battens that wrap the circular
tower in a raked pattern drop down below
the bottom of the walls to define a seating
area on the deck. And the low sweep of
the roof frames key aspects.
Unusually for Queensland, the house
has no air conditioning. Instead, the
interior is cross ventilated, with the two
stairwells serving as thermal chimneys.
“Air is pulled through the house from
the wide-open doors and sucked out
through smaller louvre windows at the top
of the stairs,” says Sparks. “It’s very easy to