Previous pages: A fence depicting Mt
Taranaki provides an excellent clue
to the location of this home by Boon
Team Architects. The architectural
fins and slats on the street facade
provide privacy for internal rooms
and match the orientation of the
picket fence and cedar cladding.
Above: The fixed fins, seen here
over the front entry, are etched
with topographical lines of the area
– another example of the family
home’s connection to its setting.
search | save | share at
Some homes look like they’ve simply been
plonked on a site while others feel like they’re a
direct response to their surroundings.
Right from the street, you know that this
New Plymouth home – designed by architect
Murali Bhaskar of Boon Team Architects – is all
about engaging with its setting. The picket fence
includes a graphic of Mount Taranaki while the
facade’s large architectural fins are etched with
topographical lines of the area.
“The owners are timber suppliers to the
building industry and had clear ideas on what
they required from their home, and even project
managed it all themselves,” Bhaskar says. “They
wanted the residence to showcase the great
views and have a relaxed, coastal feel. They both
had fond memories of living in this area before
and had waited for a suitable site on this street
with views to Pukekura Park and the ocean.”
In terms of functionality, the home had to
make a street statement and include four bed-
rooms, an office, laundry, a four-car garage, a
guest bathroom, four outdoor living spaces, an
outdoor fire, spa pool and even a roof deck.
Seen together, the fins, fence and timber
cladding on the wall and garage door reflect a