Architecture Wednesday: Arkles Bay Residence

This four-bedroom home, in Whangaparaoa … and wouldn’t you just love saying that …  is nestled amongst the branches of protected Pohutukawa trees and looks out toward the Wade River as it flows into Arkles Bay.

The architects designed the home brief for complete privacy from the street yet maximum views over the water. In order to fulfill this purpose, vertical metal cladding wraps up and over an angular form that sits close to a cliff edge. From the street, glimpses of windows, living areas, vertical cedar cladding and low-maintenance bagged masonry can be seen, but the visual impact of the metal cladding provides a sense of the mysterious.

Out back, though, façades are softened with the careful combination of materials and forms and generous windows looking out to the bay. There are separate outdoor living areas, some screened and sheltered to provide protection against the winds.

The angular roof form ties a single-story garage to the first-floor bedroom and living spaces and folds gently over the south-eastern façade.

A central stairwell framed by double-height glazing works with a skylight to create a light well through the heart of the home over an interior garden. Bedrooms face the rear yard, or private gardens, water views, or seem nestled in the tree tops.

It might be in a tightly packed neighborhood, but this home, with the way it’s been sited, and with those amazing views and trees, seems all alone and completely private.

Now, if I could learn to pronounce those words …

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