Description:

The client's purpose was to create a warm, dry and well designed home for their growing young family. They wanted to invest in design, to maximise the architectural potential within their extremely limited budget. We wanted to prove that high-end design could be achieved on a limited budget.

The majority of mainstream houses currently built in Aotearoa are of a similar budget to this project by group building companies with limited or no input by Registered Architects. We saw the need to create a high-quality example designed by an Architect to challenge the status quo, and as a result, help lift the standard of design for the majority of new housing in Aotearoa.

In response to an extremely tight budget, the concept was inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci's quote “ simplicity the ultimate sophistication”. The strategy was to keep it simple, design the fundamentals well, and create a clean and balanced sculptural form. The budget was then able to be re-allocated to quality materials which are critical for the building performance, and key high-end details, to lift the overall architectural experience. The exterior is well balanced, in form, proportions, and composition - fundamentals which make it visually compelling. This is further refined by meticulous detailing of every line and junction including an invisible garage door and complete colour coordination which further expresses its sculptural form. Other high-end details include the front door cedar soffit which extends into the entry foyer to welcome people into the home, a highly crafted timber stair screen as an artistic centerpiece connecting the downstairs and upstairs spaces, and a level floor transition for a more seamless connection between the indoor and outdoor living space. Our consulting during construction played a crucial role in the execution of this project, to ensure the design and details were accurately coordinated and crafted into reality.

The majority of houses currently built in Aotearoa, in our worsening housing crisis are of a similar budget to ‘So Fresh So Clean’. This will make up a large proportion of Aotearoa's future built environment and unfortunately Architects are rarely involved in designing mainstream housing through the entire process. This project is a clear example that high-end design can be executed on a limited budget. It proves that quality Architecture is not just in the concept sketch, and that Architects need to take all projects all the way through to construction completion, in order for true quality Architecture to be built. If more of society and especially developers, understand the value of Architects to be engaged through all stages of mainstream house designs, this will result in a far higher standard of design for the majority of our future built environment, which will have an extremely positive impact on the wellbeing of Aotearoa.