A DESIGN FOR LIFE
It’s what lies behind the veil that is the real treasure of this unique house, writes, writes ROBYN WELSH
Some homes are short- lived attention- seekers while others delight in hiding their mystique. Then there are those, such as this one, that keep inviting curiosity.
Built in 2006, this home’s emerging form invited curiosity for the design award- winning architects Pete Bossley and Andrea Bell had in mind for this tight, clifftop site. Two years later, their responses earned this house a finalist slot in the 2008 Home of the Year awards. In
2010 it won the New Zealand Institute of Architects Auckland design award.
Ten years on, this landmark home still attracts sightseers intrigued by its angular, soaring form on its corner site. Almost daily, they’ll leap out of their cars and start taking photos, until they realise they’ve been spotted.
But far from annoying the current owners, they are delighted. They’ll even duck into the shadows. “Rather than embarrass them,” says Stan, who is flattered by it all.
He and his wife came here in
2012, looking for “something unique, something special,” he says. They found it past gabion street- front walls and beyond the dramatic, staggered timber
“We wake up here and feel as if we are floating because we can’t see the land.”
facade that lets slip the natural light within, without yielding a clue as to the grandstand views beyond.
“It offers some of the best views of the gulf,” says Steen Neilsen of Ray White.
In a 2008 Home magazine article, architect Andrea Bell described the stand- out facade as being “like a veil”. Its transparent and sculptural form filters the late afternoon sun, allowing it to dance across the walls and floors.
Inside, soft grey walls highlight the textural concrete block perimeter walls. These neutral interior walls and the texture of the stainless bench in the timber kitchen fade away to nothing in favour of the views from the rear dining area.
A large outdoor dining area takes in a slice of those views. Directly off the lounge, its sheltered outdoor counterpart takes in the panorama. For close- ups, there is a deck at the lawn edge, opposite the cliff- top path down to the water.
Upstairs, beyond the midlevel media/ games room, there is another perspective on Auckland’s distant gulf islands. From the master bedroom with its own lounge, library and study, there’s the feeling of being above it all. “We wake up here and feel as if we are floating because we can’t see the land,” says Stan.
The two top- floor guest bedrooms boast that same vibe. Not to be outdone, the ground floor bedroom welcomes the morning sun across the lawn. Even the adjacent bathroom, one of three resplendent in dark red mosaic tiles, has a sea view through an eye- level window in the shower.
These owners have had their curiosity wholly satisfied. Now they’re curious about what else will pique their interest. Auction: October 21
Contact: Steen Neilsen, Ray White, 027 557 8336; Logan Swann, 021 220 5401