Lakeside living spaces
Award-winning designer has big plans for this site looking out to Takapuna’s Lake Pupuke, writes Sandra Goodwin
ANew Zealand designer whose striking work has featured on the television programme Amazing Spaces, has designed a trio of distinctive modern standalone homes for a lakeside Takapuna site. The Black Swans development plans to replace a soon-to-be-demolished house onsite at 314 Hurstmere Rd with three north-facing, two-storey luxury homes sold-off-the-plans.
The homes have been designed by Kiwi Chris Tate, whose own Tent House holiday retreat at Waiheke featured on Amazing Spaces and was shortlisted for the 2017 World Architecture Festival Awards. He is working on this project with developer PWCO Holdings.
Chris says: “I’ve designed three lock-up-andleave, secure standalone houses which I think will appeal to people who love the area and are downsizing but want to live somewhere beautiful, luxurious and stunning.”
Chris explains the name The Black Swans alludes to Lake Pupuke’s ebony-hued birdlife, sparked after the development team reminisced about The White Heron of the 1970s and discussed Chris’ slightly darker design aesthetic.
“I’d describe my aesthetic as modernist and a bit edgy. These homes will be made of concrete block, rendered and waterproofed with black aluminium louvre blading for sun and privacy. So there’s no painting and they’re largely maintenance-free.”
Chris says the house onsite is ripe for replacement given its location on Takapuna’s Golden Mile, on Hurstmere Rd not far from where it becomes Kitchener Rd. It’s towards the northeastern extremity of Lake Pupuke between Takapuna and Milford, minutes from each and near beaches.
The 959sq m site runs from the road down to where a strip of Henderson Park Reserve lies between it and the lake.
Chris says: “I think the street appeal will be striking. I wanted a highly modern, clean facade with just enough interest, not overcooked. It’s pared back and intriguing with the concrete and black louvres and the landscaping to soften it up.” Each independent home with no body corporate has been designed to maximise its own specific site. All have internal-access double garages and a feature Chris often designs into homes — a lift.
He says: “For what it costs, you’re futureproofing. It’s great even if you use it only for your suitcases and shopping and the recycling. And it’s just fantastic if you have an accident or are unwell and need the lift.”
Downstairs has been designed to accommodate extended family staying for a while. “That happens a lot; when a lot of my clients are building houses they go and stay with Mum and Dad for three or four months.
“That’s been taken into consideration with downstairs having multiple bedrooms, access and a bathroom so extended family can live downstairs for a while while mum and dad have the beautiful one-bedroom set-up upstairs sort of like their own apartment.”
All have courtyards and upper-level living spaces opening to private upper level decks.
Layouts vary. One offers a second lounge downstairs opening to a terrace, one boasts a scullery, two have large studies alternatively suitable as bedrooms. Two boost their master/en suite/dressing room suite with an additional flexible space suitable for anything from a computer set-up to a makeup station.
Chris also did the interior design.
He says: “The interiors are a bit edgier than what you’d typically find in a development, with a touch of industrial chic.”
Interiors will have central heating and concrete finishes to mimic outside.
Living and access floors will be oak hardwood. Ceilings will be sarked cedar finished with stonecoloured oil. Landscaping, conceived by Stellar Projects, favours natives.
The developers have just lodged their building consents. Construction is scheduled to start in spring for completion 12 months later.