The Knoll
Greenhithe – 2018
“The Knoll” derives from the name of the old family home which was located on this prominent hill facing the Waitematā. After the land was requisitioned by Council to build the upper harbour motorway bridge, it took two generations before remaining land was bought back by descendants.
Now “The Knoll” stands again, this time discretely dug into the side of the regenerating bush clad hill to the North of that motorway.
The house has a modernist plan comprising two 2-storey rectangular volumes and a linking bridge and stairwell.
Half burying the two volumes into the hill resolved 3 design considerations: -
It deadened the motorway noise from the south, lowered the impact of the house in this sensitive coastal environment. And it allowed the house to open to garden at both the upper and lower levels, meeting the client’s wish maximise flat garden space on the hillside setting.
The clients were attracted to American mid-century modernist houses, modern but richly crafted with the use of natural materials. Hinuera Stone cladding at the base of the house and on patio spaces anchors the house, while large areas of glass on the upper floor, and continuous clerestory windows emphasis the horizontal cantilevering roof.
The modernist plan is off-set with a crafted interior:
Hand blown lights are sprinkled across the plan. The brass and steel sequin stair screen at the house’s heart connects upper and lower floors. A sunken living area with shelf/ screens creates a snug in the otherwise open pavilion.
The corners of the living pavilion open to fuse with the garden and views.
Featured in
- Urbis Magazine – 2019
