Minimalist style, maximum quality
Builder Jaeren Claus of Claus Built is an adventurer, just as comfortable tackling steep slopes on skis or trekking through the wilderness as he is constructing architecturallychallenging homes.
Jaeren has been fortunate to have had fantastic experience throughout his building career that has included working on a number of houses that have won awards. He takes pride in attention to detail, so when Glenn and Nicola Taplin showed him the plans for their new home in Māpua, and asked him to construct it for them, he was excited for the opportunity.
The owners wanted a minimalist, understated, low-maintenance exterior, so James Hardie Oblique Cladding, painted in Resene’s Half Marsala, was chosen for the cladding. “Made from fibre cement it is more durable than timber and comes in varying widths that can be used in ways to create extra interest, while the grooves add fluctuations of shadow and light. It is also easy to maintain,” says Jaeren.
The garage door structure, supplied by Nelson Garage Doors, is cleverly constructed so it appears flush with the rest of the wall, adding to the sleek industrial look. The contrasting softer grey blockwork at the entrance leads the way to a bright tangerine-coloured front door.
Contrasting overhead is the overhang above the entrance constructed from New Zealand-made
Abodo eco-timber. It is pine from certified renewable plantations, treated to a high standard of durability through a process of thermal modification. “It is exciting to see these types of eco-friendly products becoming available which can really enhance a project like this,” says Jaeren.
The hall is 1.5 metres wide, giving a welcoming introduction to the rest of the house while providing plenty of hanging space for art. “Our architectural designer Tony Karsten suggested the installation of uplighting here which creates beautiful effects at night,” says Glenn.
Glenn and Nicola wanted a simple interior with multi-use rooms. The second bedroom doubles as an office, and the space adjoining the main living area can be screened off and become the third bedroom, with a Tiltaway bed folding down from the wall for extra guests.
The kitchen flows around the corner into a brilliantly-designed hallway behind, complete with pantry cabinetry and shelving for the likes of small appliances. “It is wonderful to be able to have the main kitchen area uncluttered,” says Nicola. The hallway continues and contains laundry and mudroom areas before meeting the garage.
The tiles for the kitchen backsplash were purposely chosen to echo the wood tones throughout the house and the main bathroom has a wall of timber-look wood grain tiles, both procured from The Flooring Room.
The main living areas are filled with light and flow out seamlessly to embrace the outdoor living spaces. A sheltered courtyard provides the perfect space for a leisurely lunch or dinner.
Extending out from the rear of the house are a trio of steel extension posts in the same colour as the window joinery. They help to anchor the outdoors to the indoors while low gabion rock walls define the garden areas and provide a warm contrast that highlights the low-maintenance plantings.
A favourite feature of the main living space is the window seat with view straight out to the garden, which was Nicola’s idea. “It is a great place to sprawl out on and relax and Jaeren did a masterful job in building it wider at one end,” says Glenn. “It had to be constructed separately and we had to get the neighbours in because it took six to help us move it into place. I was impressed at how it fitted so exactly,” he laughs.
Glenn says it was very important for them to create a passive, energy efficient, living environment. Constructed over a MaxRaft insulated concrete slab, with underfloor heating which maintains a comfortable ambient temperature around twenty-two degrees throughout the house, the concrete floor was polished to a ‘salt and pepper’ finish whereby a thin layer is taken off the surface when polishing, leaving a warm, durable, stain-resistant finish.
The timber framing is wider than the minimum required to allow for thicker insulation in the walls and airtight Intello building wrap was applied to both the exterior and interior framing for optimum thermal insulation. Thermally broken windows and doors were installed to reduce heat loss, while a clean flow of air is provided by the mechanical ventilation heat-recovery system.
Glenn and Nicola are thrilled with the result. “I was interested in the building process and wanted to be actively involved in the build, which Jaeren was great about,” Glenn says. “I learnt so much and we love every aspect of living here.”
“I particularly enjoyed the attention to detail this high-performance build required,” says Jaeren. “It is ideal for my team where we are onsite the whole time and are constantly interacting with the owners to ensure they get the result they want.”