A home constructed of robust raw materials used in an unpretentious and honestly expressed manner formed the basis of the client brief for this house.

Due to the small site (415sqm) and the constraints of the steep rear section, there were considerable access and construction challenges.

Materials for the three-level home included mainly concrete - precast, in situ and blockwork - with the upper level constructed of horizontal cedar battening. Focus was to be on spaces that were flexible and adaptable.

Consideralbe excavation and engineering was required in preparation for the building of the house itself, and a lap pool completed and provided reinforcement for the building at the bottom of the site, running the full width of the property and bordering a reserve with expansive views of the Waikato River.

A modernist design, inspiration came from the home's riverside position, with each level treated differently in material and form to replicate the striated layers of the riverbank. A rusted interior/exterior corten steel wall at middle floor entry is reminiscent of the Rangiriri gunboat wreck. Space is maximised throughout with no corridors.

A large pivot glass door allows entry into an area given over to kitchen/eating/living, with a glass wall opposite allowing transparency through to the river view. A wall of fold-back doors allows the 3 metre dining table to be wheeled out onto the deck and there is access to a rear courtyard garden and spa area. There is also a small study on this level.
The multi-purpose entertaining area is the focal point of the house. The owner - a chef - designed a simple and practical space, tending to industri