THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME
Designing a home for his own young family was a pleasure for Ben Gilpin
Steel and glass rarely marry into a cosy family home, but they create a warm and welcoming combination at Ben Gilpin and Toni Midwinter’s Raumati South house. Its strong geometric profile, with a wetland in front and a backdrop of kānuka, makes it a talking point for passers-by. “We do get a lot of people stopping and looking,” says Ben. “Locals watched us building. There were so many long lengths of steel some thought we were building a church.”
No church, but a four-bedroom family home where Ben, an architectural designer (his company is Paraparaumu’s Gil-plans Architecture) could have free rein to build exactly what he wanted for the family, including Tammy, six, and Miles, four.
The home was finished in October 2014 after a 14-month build. During the final part of construction they lived in the back rooms. Miles was only three months old and a tiger blanket was all that separated the building site from winter’s chill. “We had one working bathroom and a kitchen set up in the garage. There were some cold times,” says Toni. >
But that’s long forgotten now that they’re well-settled into their new home. It’s designed to connect indoors and out, with multiple living areas that allow the family to be together but have separate spaces when needed.
“We probably built this house a bit early as our bedroom is away from the kids. We’re in the master bedroom now but we spent the first 18 months sleeping in the spare room to be closer to them,” says Toni. “We designed this house with growing in mind, and the different areas and separation of spaces suits our family perfectly. The kids can have their space when they want it, and we can have ours too.”
It’s the second house the couple have built on the street. The first was finished in 2009, just next door. “Ben enjoyed building that house so much, we decided to do another,” says Toni.
“I do like having something on the go,” agrees Ben. “This land was vacant and was on the market for some time. Eventually we bought it to build ourselves a bigger home.” And Ben loved the fact that designing for his own family meant he had complete creative freedom – as long as he stuck within their budget.
“We wanted to do something unique and striking, with a focus on the landscaping.” >
That focus continues inside, too, with Ben’s designer’s eye creating a home that’s warm, thanks to American oak, cedar cladding, carefully rusted custom-cut Corten steel and charcoal accents. Huge glass walls, with sliding doors in the living areas and master bedroom, open the home to the outdoors. Above, extended eaves offer shade.
Decorative timber battens create see-through separation defining spaces and housing in-built furniture, while niches with inlaid LED lighting add colour. The ornaments, mementos and knick-knacks they display keep the home’s open space and straight lines from being too clean, too minimalist.
“I think sometimes Ben gets excited about a new shelf and wants to find something to put on it,” says Toni.
Perhaps surprisingly, the plans took only a couple of months for what’s quite a complex house, with its angled walls, glass, pop-up roof with clerestory windows over the family room and kitchen, and open and covered outdoor areas. At 2017’s ADNZ awards, Ben’s design won the Wellington regional colour award and was a national finalist in that category, as well as taking out a commendation for best new house.
The house has a capacity for entertaining that’s as vast as Ben’s grandmother’s outdoor table, which must seat 20 without knocking elbows. Then there’s the built-in seating skirting the rear deck – and a 500kg quarry grading bucket, also Corten steel, that serves as a marshmallow-burning brazier – and a covered alfresco area off the kitchen and living room. >
“I counted we could seat about 50 people inside and outside our living areas,” says Toni. “We have many zones around the house so we can always find the sun, or get away from the wind – and the kids’ noise – if we need to.”
Kids are, of course, welcome to make noise. There’s plenty of room to play on the trampoline or in the Wendy house – a minime of the big house – or play with a ball on the new sunken lawn between the house and the wetland abutting the front fence.
“We have a no-build line at the front of the property as it’s a restricted ponding area. But we wanted to use the land so we planted it out to create a wetland as well as privacy from the roadside,” says Ben. The couple planted the boundaries, starting before they broke ground on the build. “Most plants are natives and evergreens so we’re always looking out at green,” says Ben.
“In a few years, with all the growth, this house will nestle right into the hill, which is what I envisaged. We designed this to be a home where we’d stay at least 10 years, so yes, I am already thinking about my next build. But I think it will be a bit simpler than this one – just as polished, but simpler!”