Article: Tools To Task
Compact Smart Homes In The City
If you seek a compact smart home design, this Whangarei house-plan build and constructed on 4th Avenue does not disappoint! The innovative designers at The House Company are the brains behind –The Bow-House’s- striking Kiwi architecture that maximises every inch of its urban house plan.
The Challenge
The challenge that presented itself was the 373m2 section situated between not one but two road boundaries and therefore leaving a rather tight building envelope. The owners’ idea was to maximise footprint potential and creating a generous 3-bedroom home, which meant, given the site and regulation constraints, going up rather than spreading out. The designers at The House Company came up with an innovative solution by creating split-levels; they achieved the desired separation of floors and living spaces, while staying within the planning restriction guidelines. They purposely selected colour steel corrugated cladding, consequently creating a contemporary low-maintenance house style to this urban house plan.
The Objectives
The design of this compact section with a roomy home required to meet with a trio of objectives: a connection to the outdoors without sacrificing privacy; outdoors that would enhance the feeling of space indoors; and solar access in every room. With some careful considerations in planning, the two-storey house accomplishes all three.
The Construction
Toward the back of this house, the vertical volume presents compactly organised living spaces to make room for an open, airy volume at the stern with a terrace that doubles as an outdoor living room and garden. An additional bonus is the amazing view over the city of Whangarei inclusive of the Town Basin’s marina. A high concrete block wall constructed along the back of the house forms the “buffer zone” sheltering the home from the street while allowing the sun to stream in at every level. Every room is oriented to overlook some aspect of the surrounding environment, whether they are views towards nature or views aiming right at the heart of the city.
A “green” benefit of this smart home comes in the “eco-sustainable” sense; in the form of passive summer ventilation and winter heating via multiple windows in every room, as well as insulated walls and roof.
The Concept
The funky split-level element in the concept of this house provide the perfect contrast and balance between the high traffic living and working areas located on the second floor to the downstairs bedrooms where tranquillity is at its optimum even when the party carries on upstairs. The flow throughout the rooms is warm and inviting with wall-to-wall natural coloured carpet leading to a practical yet very contemporary vinyl, laminate design floor in the dining and kitchen area. Both the upstairs as well as the downstairs bathrooms are tiled and well ventilated. The entire home’s colour choice applied is both soothing to the eye as well as creating the illusion spaciousness in areas one would not expect it.
Overall, from the white walls to the industrial-chic details, this smart house design on a small section is indeed larger than life.
One Show Home Weekend Coming Up!
Word has it that The House Company has been given the opportunity by the owners, who have bought it as an investment property to let, to showcase its clever design and layout to the public – just for one weekend though! Open Show Home weekend coming up on Saturday and Sunday the 3rd and 4th of December from 10AM to 2PM.
