Grindlay says the close attention to design detail further animates the facade. As a result, the window systems feature above-spec thermally broken frames, and Low-E double glazing." With such large expanses of glass, we had to be savvy about heat control.
"The windows were an important part of the design, look and function of the home. The house is set well back from the street and while the garage end is the first glimpse you have of the home, when you're actually there and out on the generous deck it's the cedar-clad, articulated side of the home that's on show.Īnother leading aspect of this house is the window design and the glazing itself. Balancing this natural surface, we used affordable black metal roofing material on the street-facing facade and in a different treatment on the double-garage door." "The warm-look cedar cladding was not cheap, but it sets up the character of the whole home, not to mention being in keeping with the setting. Part of the principal here was to spend more on prominent features and slightly less where things were of a lower emphasis," says Grindlay. "Designing an architectural house on a close budget requires strategic choices along the way. This was not just an affordable construction method, it also allowed for sheltered storage space under the house.
With feasibility assured, Grindlay designed the home's garage area to sit on a concrete slab on the buildable area, but set much of the rest of the home on poles.
"The bush-covered site is a generous 3000m² but the ground slopes away steeply, with only about 400m² of buildable land in the area where the owners wanted the home." "The budget influenced the evolution of this house in several ways," says Grindlay.
When architectural designer Cameron Grindlay drew up the plans for this home he engaged a quantity surveyor to ensure the design was affordable, and so viable. The complex balancing act between meeting a budget and your quality of home and lifestyle starts right from the outset.