Where to start when you have to design a luxurious new family home in the middle of a dairy farm amongst the green, rolling New Zealand countryside? In this case the answer to the question soon became obvious: with the brick.
The couple have built many houses, but this one was very different from any of the others, say homeowners Bronwyn and Bruce Turton. Bronwyn who is an interior designer and Bruce who is a builder were looking for a completely new approach to their home in Horsham Downs, a settlement in northern New Zealand. The enthusiasm for a brick building was aroused by a proposal by architect Tane Cox from Red Architecture. “At first the idea of importing bricks from Europe seemed completely impractical. We only had three samples of bricks locally and otherwise only photos from other construction projects,” says Bronwyn Turton.
“Thanks to the professional team from Stellaria, the Wienerberger partner in New Zealand, planning went smoothly and our choice fell on the St Ives brick.” With the use of natural materials, the mixture of flat and saddle roofs and the generous view the Hakarimata Scenic Reserve, the building is designed as an architectural tribute to the surrounding landscape. “The brick ultimately set the tone for the rest of our home,” says Bruce Turton.
One of the challenges Turton Building’s contractors faced was to create perfect transitions: Brick to cedar, brick to steel, brick to flooring. And everywhere with a tolerance of only 2 mm. Bruce Turton precisely planned the implementation for more than twelve months. Bronwyn Turton took care of the interior design with her team at Turton Oliver Interior Design. The brick served as the starting point for the selection of textures and forms in the stone, wood and steel fixtures and furnishings.
For the right light ambience, the clients drew on the expertise of Meredith Devoy from Alumia Lighting. The end result is a house in which all the elements are seamlessly brought together and flow effortlessly one into another. Bronwyn Turton is certain that “the St Ives brick was the ideal choice to bring harmony and balance into our home”.
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