Aboveandfacing
Frominsidethehome
tooutside,a clear
connectionhasbeen
createdwiththepond.
RightSpendwas
minimisedinthe
privateareasandused
inthepublicareasfor
full-heightdouble-
glazingandexposed
structural steel.
Forthearchitects,whomoreoftendealwithsteep
Wellingtonsitesandthecomplexgeometryrequired
toresolvethem,theflatsitewasalmostnovel.Thesmall
budgetnotsomuch.Theobvioussolutionherewasan
efficientsquaretominimisecomplexityandbuilding
costs,whichinturnfreedupspendtobesprinkled
elsewhere,likefull-heightslidersinthelivingarea,
andexposedstructuralsteel.“Keepingit simplein
somepartsofthehouseallowedustohavefunin
otherspaces,”saysGittos.
Atestamenttotheproject’ssuccess,thecouple
isalreadythinkingabouttheirnextmove,and
consideringhowtheycanapplytheirnew-found
appreciationforsmallspacestothebigsmoke- perhapsthistime,withfriends.“Thishousehas
inspiredsomeofourfriendstothinkaboutliving
differently,”saysPaul.“Peoplehaveexpectations
of whatit’sliketoliveinsmallhouse,butwhen
you’rehereyourealisehowfunctionalitis– it
doesn’tfeelsmallatall.”
GoodconnectiontotheoutdoorshelpsandGittos
particularlylikestherelationshiptothepond.“The
houseis onlyonestepoffthegroundwhereyoucome
infromthecarport,butthere’sa gentlefallawayto
thepond.Ifyousitontheedgeofthedeckanddangle
your feet, it feels like you’re over the pond.”
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