A soaring pitched roof that turns the heads of passers-by is just one of the design features that made a Christchurch home a national award winner at the 2018 ADNZ | Resene Architectural Design Awards. Designed by Don Roy and Cymon Allfrey of Cymon Allfrey Architects, the home won the highly coveted Residential New Home over 300m2 Architectural Design Award. The unique home on Glandovey Road in Fendalton was praised by judges for being an “individualist” but at the same time sitting nicely within its surrounds.
The brief to Cymon Allfrey Architects was to create a home of warmth and personality with a little bit of quirkiness. The home needed to be highly private when viewed from the street but open to the north facing garden. Cymon Allfrey Architects answer was to design a visually stunning home with a west facing pitched roof plane that gently rests on a simple rectangular pavilion spanning the length of the house.
Judges of the ADNZ awards said the approach from the street is both sympathetic and private, but still provides a grand and alluring entry.
“Simple forms come together in a considered way, so the pitched roof feels as though it is lightly floating on the darker cedar box of the building. This soaring pitched roof is elegantly detailed to flow through the length of the house providing striking interior and exterior volumes and gently enclosing the spaces below,” said the judges.
The home is organised around a central entry gallery which sits below the soaring volume created by the sloping Meranti ply ceiling. Living areas are orientated from the east to the west creating indoor and outdoor spaces that promote use in different weather conditions. Large sliders have been used throughout the house, so rooms can go from intimate to open plan with the opening or closing of a door. Timber finishes throughout include natural finished American White Oak veneer in conjunction with crisp white painted surfaces to offer a light and airy interior and as a counterpoint to the rich plywood ceilings. While dark Cedar clads the exterior of the building.
Architectural Designers New Zealand CEO, Astrid Andersen, said the soaring ceiling gives the design a wow factor that made it stand out from the rest.
“Great architectural design comes in many forms. It doesn’t always need to take your breath away, for many of us it is about how liveable a home is, the quality of the build and the quality of life and wellness it promotes. However, in the case of this design, its beauty really smacks you in the face. It isn’t subtle, it is for all to see. Not only is this beautiful soaring roof design, glorious on the eye, it also provides a warm and engaging interior that sees volume, materials and colour create variation within the home. Well done Cymon Allfrey and Don Roy.”
To learn more about Cymon Allfrey visit: https://www.adnz.org.nz/profile/cymonallfrey
To learn more about Don Roy visit: https://www.adnz.org.nz/profile/donroy
