Design and build by Landmark Homes, North Shore Rodney

From the homebuilder:

What was requested:

• Bold, simple and strong shapes

• Boxy, mono pitches

• Something different

• Need to stand out

• An earthy feel – in touch with nature

• Very good indoor-outdoor flow

The street approach to the generous two storey home.

Physical requirements:

• Four bedrooms, two lounges and all the features a family home would normally have

• Around 250–260m²

• Other than these basic requirements, I had a free hand

Design development & functionality:

• Showhomes require specific thought around how groups of people flow through a home and how the new home consultant in attendance will interact with them while still maintaining the feeling of a welcoming home – with this in mind, circulation space is critical to allow for multiple groups.

• Very prescriptive rules around the location of the garage door meant you either set the garage door back behind the front door or you turned into the garage, which I chose to do. This provided ample parking plus a very different look to most of the other houses in the subdivision.

• Inspiration for the front wall came from the walls now commonly seen on the motorway with plants growing up them. I chose to use James Hardie Titan panel, painted with Porters Paint, to create a rust effect finish. This gave the illusion of Corten steel, a wonderful backdrop to the planting.

• Conscious of the location of North, I created a courtyard at the front entry that allows peeks of morning sun into the house – and by keeping the house to the southwest, the north/northwest courtyard was maximised.

Media room to the left, stairs to the right, front door straight ahead and kitchen/dining/living behind the photographer.

• Floor-to-ceiling glazing enhanced the drama and strengthened the illusion of volume to the living area.

• Additionally, the extensive use of elevated southern glazing above cabinetry ensured the kitchen, living, scullery and laundry were bathed in light without excessive overheating.

• The master bedroom on the lower floor gives it the feeling of a separate luxury suite, especially with the use of dark colours and freestanding bath in the ensuite which opens out onto its own private courtyard.

• With the site being narrow and having the stairs right in the entry, the use of structural ply created interest and space where it wouldn’t usually be.

• The ply stairs aligned well with the natural materials theme, and we paired the natural finish with black and green. A ply grip rail with concealed LED strip finished it beautifully.

Wood floors and wood cabinetry bring a natural feel to the dining/kitchen living space that opens to the covered outdoor room with room-height sliders.

Design aesthetics:

• Being on trend but different

• Standing out from the crowd

• Wanting to embrace nature and using natural feeling materials and colours

The result is a standout home which delivered numerous exciting ideas and generated exceptional feedback.