Bough House

Onehunga

New Build

Completed - 2018

Project Description:

Bough House is a modern bungalow that sits beneath mature Pohutukawa trees in suburban Onehunga.

Compact due to budget and site, the house needed to feel generous and perfectly sized for one but equally accommodate children boomeranging back to the maternal nest.

Wanting all the main spaces on one floor, the fall of the site suggested perching the main spaces over a single garage, so that the house, small and low-slung as it actually is, towers above the drive, twisting slightly to pull you towards the front door. Treading the terracotta tiled steps, you rise up to the house, and walk through a lofty hall that draws you towards the 3.6-metre high picture windows that look out into the hedge-lined garden. As you walk towards the glazing, the space unfolds to reveal a cosy living room on one side and kitchen on the other, anchored by a square oak island. The northeast corner flicks up to look into the tree boughs, creating the centre point of the house – the dining room, designed with a nostalgic nod to the conservatory-like dining room of a childhood home.

The effect of the towering nature of the house, the oversized glazing, the tall, raking ceilings and the confidence of the how views through the house are constrained and revealed makes this compact bungalow feel generous and intricate, comfortable and sophisticated.

Awards:

NZIA Auckland Architecture Award 2021

Jury Citation: Nestled at the back of a small suburban site, Bough House greets its occupants and guests with a gentle twist in the façade to form a welcoming entry. The architects’ interpretation of the simple brief, which asked for “an outdoor table, a fire [and] a bath” has resulted in a compact house with generously arranged living spaces that can host large family gatherings inside and out. Oversized picture windows and skylights carefully frame views of the garden and sky while maintaining privacy. This clever design makes the most of a tight and challenging site with elegance and confidence.

Publications:

homestyle - February/ March 2022

Photography © David Straight