Futurist Architecture

Nature weaves through each space, including the bedrooms with private sit-outs and bathrooms. The transparency of the exterior walls opens up the living spaces to the landscape of the exterior. A single floating roof can unite all structures, act as lungs that breathe air and light into this comfortable retreat that nestled in the nature lap.

The design of this house can allow seamless interaction between nature and man by generating the views of water features and bamboo curtains. The transitional living room opens out to the elements by sliding doors and flexible modulation of rolling screens. Fuse the interiors with nature, some natural materials are used in their raw forms to create a dynamic indoor-outdoor sensory experience.

The house roof has a visible wooden beam structure. This structure can give a rural touch and warm atmosphere that meet the needs of the client. Where this roof goes up, a dome above the seating area allows the natural light to in. There is also a skylight in the bathroom because it is the only room that not connected to the house patio.

The architect also designs an open space up to the house patio. A covered outdoor space underneath the house also can be created as the result where the car can be parked. A gate is made from steel blinds, placed at an angle of 45 degrees. This gate provides sufficient privacy but still gives an open, light impression for the house. A dark corner at the gate is transformed by the architect into a fresh corner that revives the street.

This house is partially open vertically where the stairs come up through the natural ventilation and floors. The fresh air comes through the openable windows and is pulled out through the house skylights. This house is heated with the heat exchanger in winter, as well as the heating on all house floors. When the sunlight shines into the large open spaces, the passive solar heating occurs to the south and west.

The whole front area of the villa uses a flexible brise-soleil system that ables to open wide and close. This system is also able to adjust the light that comes into the house and keep its security. With this awesome system, the house can be open-minded or closed with its outside area.

On the ground floor, the spaces are interconnected to each other and the garden and pool, visually and physically. More private rooms and bedrooms are lifted with the ground floor freed up. Those rooms are lifted above the “ground” to the second storey amongst the thin-slanted columns and the treetops supported by planes that merge with the surrounding landscape.

The inside and outside areas are mediated by the boundary walls. There is also a row of bamboo behind the glass wall for screening, acting as a foreground for the floating golden mesh and serving as a backdrop of the living space for the people sitting.

The furniture, floor, and ceiling of this small house are dominated by wood materials. Natural impression also comes from the white accents from the wall and the bed. In summer, the sliding door can let the warm sunlight to come to the living area. The neat detail can be seen from the book arrangement and accessories on the wooden rack.

The composed interiors of Kanuka Valley House can create a continuously unfolding world of frames and niches, as well as graceful living spaces. The materials are elevated, whether rammed earth, cedar, strand board, or bamboo. With some lighting arrangements, the interiors are not only warm but also offering a romantic and calm feeling for everyone who enters the house.

The design inspiration for this house comes from the traditional Japanese spaces. In order to fit the need of the house, this inspiration is also adapted to the modern New Zealand context. The combination of the context and inspiration can create a unique form on the structure and the interior of the house. Dominated by wooden materials, this house offers a warm atmosphere inside.