House with Views

THE TASK

A family wanted to take advantage of some amazing views around their family farm, even though the land itself was completely flat. Therefore, our key objectives were:

• Make use of available views although the land is flat
• Design a home where the front is one storey, the rear double storey
• Make use of thermal mass and passive heating/cooling techniques.

Energy efficiency was also on their mind, as well as keeping construction costs as low as possible.

THE RESULT

Firstly, we designed this home with a single-storey façade at the front of the home by building the land up using retaining walls. This created the artificial appearance of a single-storey home from the road, however the rear of the home was designed as a double-storey dwelling.

This gave the clients a great vantage point at the rear of the home to enjoy their views, while keeping the home functional and affordable. It also uses thermal mass to create passive heating and cooling techniques for extra energy efficiency.