MRTN architects: house under eaves in new zealand

‘house under eaves’ is a residential project by MRTN architects in new zealand. the approach was to anticipate the developing context and foster a sense of a retreat from the streetscape.

all images © anthony basheer

the melbourne-based architects proposed the use of shadow as a design material, creating an oversized dark roof that rests on thick cedar clad walls. the roof protects from the elements, in which heavy downpours are common in the area. the black eaves were extended and long shadows are protective in nature. from the interior the black eaves frame the landscape views and enhance the appearance of the surrounding greenery.

the oversized roof protects the house from the elements and heavy downpours

the client’s privacy was taking into consideration and led to a layered separation forming from front to back. the structure references the work of the early new zealand modernist group architects. from the street the roof is held up by the cedar clad walls and the front door is screened by a poured in place concrete wall. moving through the home however it is apparent that the house is a split gable form and the plan is dived in two, the front half is the garage, street entry and guest bedrooms while the rear half is the living spaces and owners bedroom. a glazed link connects the two wings located at the highest point of the roof.

a high raked ceiling with exposed rafters to the living room contrasts to the flat ceilings found elsewhere

internally, the living areas are positioned on either side of a wide cedar lined wall that continues from the garden to the rear through to the entry. this wall acts as a threshold separating the kitchen from the living and dining spaces. in contrast to its dark envelope, the use of openings is optimized and permeates the interior spaces with natural light.

‘house under eave has a shifting scale; from the street the house appears as a compact assemblage of parts. on entering however the scale expands as you move through the plan and spills out to a verdant garden. it is in this space the owner can retreat to, connected to the garden but sheltered by the eave.’ – MRTN architects

the high walls create space for the owner’s artwork but also imparting the sense of being in a covered outdoor room