Trends New Zealand NZ New Home Trends Vol. 30/10 | Page 38
Semi-detached houses, also known as
duplexes, are usually built as mirror
images of each other. But in recent years,
the nature of these structures is changing
as new owners look to update the homes
to better suit modern lifestyles.
The semi-detached house that once
stood on this site was demolished to make
way for a new, contemporary home that is
a complete contrast to what went before.
Architect Robin Tan of Wallflower
Architecture + Design says the owners
wanted to use all the available space and
36
height to create a large family home with
a roof terrace that would maximise a great
view at the rear.
“The formal expression of the house is
also a response to a strict interpretation of
local regulations,” Tan says. “These stipulate that this must be a two-storey house,
but we were able to include an attic level,
which essentially gave us three storeys.
In keeping with requirements, the roof
needed to wrap down part of this upper
level, so it looks like a two-storey house
from the street.”
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The architect says the house couples
two distinct forms – a tall, narrow block
the width of a single room, which houses
the master bedroom, study and attic living
space, and a wider block at the rear that
accommodates children’s bedrooms. But
the composition was also determined by
the choice of materials and the way these
are used.
“Because this is a tropical climate,
the house has a multilayered facade of
sliding glass doors and windows, and a
veil of operable vertical timber louvres