S House to Reflect the Site’s Topography

Glamuzina Paterson Architects had to design a house that incorporated the land’s main features for a five-member family. The residence is located in Mount Eden, Auckland, New Zealand on the southern side of Prospect Terrace. The topography includes 15 m wide and 72 m long rectangle slopes that extend from the street towards the rear end of the lot.

The project was far from the comfortable zone of the typical suburban house. The house splits the space in two, creating two gardens. The topography creates level changes on the site and multiple views of the gardens and surroundings of the house.

A corridor that expands and contracts together with the house interior is the spine that connects the east and west gardens. These two exterior areas were given themes: the east garden was given a native look, while the west was an exotic sculpted garden. The display of the rooms of the house is as abrupt as the landscape. The children’s play area and bedrooms appear at a turning point of the house and are placed to create a view over the gardens.

The interior design of the house is black and white. Built-in furniture and black oxide concrete floor creates an austere look. On the exterior, the architects used stained cedar cladding and corrugated iron roofing. The ups and downs in the roof are just a reflection of the landscape. In the plan to re-design the residence it was foreseen a street elevation for an outward scenery that some Ribbonwood and Kowhai trees were supposed to enhance. An important detail consisted in the use of excavated Basalt for the garden planting plan.

The design of this house was built on the principle that “Ordinary things contain the deepest mystery”, as Robin Evan commented.

Photos by Patrick Reynolds