Trends New Zealand Trends Volume 32 No 4 New Zealand | Page 28

Best foot
forward
This home stretches out to maximise ocean views
but also harbours its own internal landscape
There are a number of ways for a house
to meld with its environment – optimising
views, bringing natural materials inside,
and also evoking the spirit of other homes
in the area, are just three.
All these boxes are firmly ticked in this
spacious seaside family home by designer
Jason Saunders at Arc Seven 1.
The brief from the owners was for a
laid-back, spacious home that their young
children could grow into. The design had
to make the most of the broad ocean views,
offer a relaxed beachside lifestyle and not

be too ostentatious, says Saunders.
“Sloping 9m down the hill from the
back, the site also fans out at the front.
Basically, we designed the house around
the sea views while creating a sheltered
indoor-outdoor area with a pool to the rear.”
The three-storey house has the doubleheight entry foyer, garage and storage at
lower ground level; and the living spaces
and two kitchens at ground level, together
with a games room, art corridor; and guest
suite at the rear. The master suite, study
and two bedrooms occupy the top floor.

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“This layout means visitors approach
along the side of the house, then turn left
into the foyer and climb the stairs or take
the feature glass lift up to the ground floor
where the sea outlooks are fully revealed.
“The mid level cantilevers out over the
lower level on the ocean-side of the house.
While this arrangement avoids the home
encroaching on the street at ground level,
upstairs it creates the impression that you
are almost hanging out over the ocean.”
In addition, the sofa-to-seafront effect
was accentuated by installing the window