Trends New Zealand Trends Volume 31 No 4 New Zealand | Page 129

Slice of heaven
Although this new terrace house is just 4.9m wide, it packs a lot of punch
with its crisp interior and award-winning eco design features
Slotting a modern terrace
into a row of 19th-century
heritage buildings is as much
of a challenge as it sounds.
And when you add in
a width of just 4.9m and a
requirement for extensive
green features, the challenge
simply compounds.
This was the task that
Chris Knierim of Code Green
and Designer Constructions
Group faced when he set out

to design a new home for his
family – wife Belinda and sons
Dieter and Liam – in Sydney.
“This was the only vacant
site in the area,” Knierim says.
“It was part of a property we
bought many years earlier, and
consequently it had never been
built on. Despite the narrow
width, I was determined to
prove we could have a family
home that delivered high
performance and comfort.”

The designer says that his
longstanding passion for contemporary sustainable design
techniques was reinforced by
working in the US and Europe.
“I was very impressed with
the design applications of green
roofs and vertical gardens in
particular, and how they could
help to heat and cool a home
naturally. It became a priority
to incorporate these elements
into the design.”

Facing page: The Forest Lodge Eco
House is a new terrace house in
Sydney squeezed between two 19thcentury heritage terraces. The new
build embraces sustainable design
to set a new benchmark for modern
living. The street frontage features
two vertical gardens, including a
7m-high garden at the entry. The
sliding glass gate is automated.
Above: A recessed mirror strip that
sits flush with the wall expands the
view to make the space look larger.

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