This spacious family home spreads out over a 70m long block that is only 10m wide. The site rises 7.5m front to back, with vehicle access only available at the very front and ocean views possible from the highest point at the back. We saw these constraintes as an opportunity to break up the footprint of the house and create a journey through multiple garden spaces. With two neighbours to the long northern side and three to the south, care also needed to be taken to position gardens and rooms such as to receive as much natural light as possible without blocking it from others.
"...an opportunity to break up the footprint of the house and create a journey through multiple garden spaces."
The narrowness of the site is mitigated by extending rooms out to sit hard on the neighbour's boundary. High level windows are set back from these boundary walls to allow plenty of light to enter the internal spaces. The constraints and potential opportunities of this site meant that this was never going to be a project that sailed through the planning approval process. We were able to guide the project through in a conflict free way by sticking the spirit of the codes and policies. We always take feedback seriously but also provide strong arguments and supporting evidence when it is necessary. This is critical in arriving at a good design outcome on a challenging site.
This project has recently received building permit and work will soon commence by Talo Construction.
