This is the internal courtyard of a very groovy architecturally-designed house set on a hilltop in Wairarapa. It makes maximum use of texture as a response to the clients’ love of texture – she is a textile designer. Rustic, locally sourced materials make reference to the rural location and give an informal flavor to the simple hard-edged design.…
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This small but extraordinary school, inspired by a wonderfully enthusiastic band of teachers, parents and students, wanted to embrace the broader concept of the ?outdoor classroom?. The brief was to include everything from an outdoor ?room? for classes to a small paddock for pet lambs and even chickens! Vege gardens, a large orchard, worm farm…
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This lovely old farmhouse is surrounded with mature woodlands, a sheltered home paddock and a grove of ancient pear trees. The design of the back courtyard opens up to this with wide, curving steps. This curve continues as hedging around the edge of the area to define the courtyard space yet retain views to the scene beyond. Originally…
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The concept design for this property was completed prior to the new house being designed to allow the owners to begin planting the largely empty paddocks. Once the new house plan ? by Architect Gerald Parsonson ? was completed the landscape plan was able to be adjusted to fit. The house is a dramatic and…
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A mere 15 years ago these clients bought this property as a bare undulating-to-steep paddock and set about transforming it into a place where they could eventually live and retire to. A house site was confirmed and a prefunctory driveway route drawn in by the engineer – straight from the gate to the house site…
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The owners of this established garden had purchased a large empty paddock next door, and the challenge was to develop the new garden areas as a natural continuation of the existing garden. The driveway was rerouted to make full use of the new area and also to reduce the impact of the existing driveway which cutt off the…
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This garden, owned by my parents and the first garden I ever designed, is an informal, rambling country garden in which I have learned a lot. The budget has always been tight but this has worked to our advantage in that the use of natural, low-cost, local materials gives an informal, handcrafted character to the place. The courtyards are…
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This dramatic contemporary home, designed by Novak and Middleton Architects, was set within a mature Kanuka forest. As much as possible of the Kanuka stand was retained, with trees up to and overhanging the house in several areas. The existing dramatic, simple forest cover meant little was required in the way of extra trees, but…
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This development was completed in 1998 and is now fully completed with established homes and gardens on every section. The subdivision was created on gently undulating inland dunes with views west over farmland to the Southern Alps – a highly conspicuous site which necessitated sympathetic treatment for it’s success. The boundary between the development and the adjacent farmland has…
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