Black timber cladding stands in stark contrast to the lush green vegetation that surrounds Waiatarua House in Auckland, New Zealand. The project was completed by Hamish Monk Architecture and borders onto a nearby creek — which is somewhat obscured by the sheer quantity of trees and other bush flora that it supports.
Waiataurua House is composed of several simple rectilinear volumes, which are conjoined to develop a stepped formation that follows the contours of the site. This tiered layout creates additional outside space, with the tops of the lower volumes accommodating roof terraces for their preceding rooms. The way in which Waiatarua House has been stacked is most visible in the image below.
Conceived as a series of sculptural components, the design plays on purity and scale of the program articulated through three simple elemental forms that step down the site towards the creek – the roof of one floor creating a level platform for the next.Hamish Monk Architecture
The dwelling was designed with an overwhelmingly minimalist exterior, which while not exactly in keeping with its natural surroundings, has a sense of muted subtlety that somehow causes the viewers eye to skim over it; the house exists but it doesn’t feature any superfluous detail.
The design intentionally does not try to compete or mimic the wild beauty and intricacy expressed in surrounding natural environment, but rather assumes quiet, understated position in contrast – a reductivist idiom, stripped of excessive articulation and noise.Hamish Monk Architecture
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Further Info
| Architect | Hamish Monk Architecture |
|---|---|
| Photographer | Mark Smith |
