Trends New Zealand Trends Volume 32 No 1 New Zealand | Page 18

Previous pages and above right: The interiors, kitchen included, are a symphony in white, complemented by the blue of the adjacent ocean. Plan, main floor: 1 living, 2 dining, 3 kitchen, 4 laundry, 5 toilet, 6 pantry, 7 hall, 8 ensuite, 9 bedroom, 10 terrace Facing page: A sail shade shelters the outdoor dining area while facade overhangs limit solar gain on the interiors during the summer. The interiors are as generous and simple as the eye-catching exterior. On the main floor, the open-plan living spaces are white with the blue of the sea almost a component of the decor. The marble-look large format tiles are also in keeping with the European sensibility required. Coastal conditions are notoriously variable but the sustainable-energy house is well set up for warmth and cold. The main level is built on a concrete slab, which absorbs the sun’s rays during the day through the generous glazing and releases the heat back into the interior come evening. Deep overhangs and sun shades both search | save | share at trendsideas.com help mitigate heat gain during the summer. “In addition, the design is slightly unusual for New Zealand in that it has external rather than internal insulation,” says Meijer. “With this building method, the concrete walls are exposed directly to the interior, with no cavity space to hide pipes and wires. This meant that service channels had to be configured into the concrete tilt slabs before the house even went up.” With its clean-lined composition of simple, strong materials, sprawling terrace and articulated forms, this house opens up to the coastal panorama on all levels and from all rooms.