Contributors

What did you enjoy about photographing the house? It was fantastic to photograph – the light constantly changes throughout the day, casting dramatic light and shadow in beautiful patterns. I enjoyed capturing these effects as they appeared. You work on projects in New Zealand on your return trips? Over the past few years I've been doing more and more projects in New Zealand and the plan is to find a way back permanently. What are you working on at the moment? I'm looking forward to photographing a number of interesting houses in the spring. Then there's the Salone de Mobile in Milan in April and the Venice Architectural Biennale in May. Tell us about the home. It deftly manages the delicate balancing act of being both respectful and courageous. It's not a fake-historical object that's apologetically trying to look like everyone else, but it isn't screaming for attention either. Instead, it takes some design cues from the adjacent villas and bungalows to create a thoughtful, brave and (I think) very successful answer to a difficult question: how can a brand-new home be a pleasing addition to a lovely old street? What most captured your attention? Apart from the fascinating street elevation, this feels like a home that's been beautifully shaped to the lives of the people who live there. I think that's because of the trust established between Marianne and Terry, the owners, and Guy, the architect. Marianne and Terry gave Guy a detailed brief of their spatial requirements and how they wanted their home to feel, but left it to Guy to come up with a way to achieve those goals. I think their open-mindedness left him plenty of creative freedom, which is the best way to make magic happen. What do you think it takes for a house to be a Home of the Year? A home that feels like clients and architects have worked together to create something that exceeds both their expectations. It doesn't matter if a house is big or small – it's more about it feeling joyful and personal and surprising.