UP WITH THE BEST
Miramar home clinches title
Creating a private home among multiple neighbouring properties on a suburban street is no easy feat, but the designers of a house in Miramar have managed to do it.
Miramar House, designed by Wellington company Andrew Sexton Architecture, collected a national prize at last night’s Home magazine Home Of The Year Awards in Auckland.
The courtyard house in the eastern Wellington suburb took out the Best City Home category.
The judges commended the design for creating a sense of privacy despite the home being on a tricky site among several neighbours.
‘‘On an unprepossessing suburban site in Miramar, Wellington, Sexton has created something special,’’ the judges said.
Surrounded by neighbours on all sides, the house was built in a U-shape around a two-level courtyard garden.
The outside consisted of a ‘‘hard shell’’ of raw fibre cement, while the inside was a softer shell of dark-stained cedar.
‘‘Inside, there is a variety of experiences and a beautiful play of light,’’ the judges said. ‘‘A lovely garden completes the picture.’’
Miramar House was up against some stiff competition for the supreme award, which went to Kawakawa House, in Piha.
The beach house, nestled among po¯hutukawa trees, took advantage of its ‘‘spectacular surrounding environment’’, and won designers Lance and Nicola Herbst, of Herbst Architects, the $15,000 major prize.
It was the third time the duo had won the prize.
The pair also won the Best Interior award for their work on Lantern House, above Onetangi on Waiheke Island.
Also in the running were Auckland’s Mt Eden House by Guy Tarrant Architects, the Family Bach by Cymon Allfrey Architects in Hanmer Springs, and h01 House in Christchurch, designed by Maguire and Harford Architects.
‘‘We continue to be amazed by the standard of architecture and design across the nation, showcased in the details and thought put into each and every home in the awards this year,’’ Home editor Simon Farrell-Green said when the nominees were announced.
‘‘There were some obvious trends across the homes we visited this year, including, but not limited to, the resurgence of courtyards, homes built for quiet retreat, a sense of home within an urban environment, lavish attention to detail, and the demise of the garage.’’
All winners and finalists can be seen in Home’s Home Of The Year issue, which will be released today.