Slack/Vivian House ATAWHAI, NELSON. CONTEMPORARY STYLED SOLAR TEMPERED HOUSE FEATURING STAINED TEXTURED PLYWOOD CLADDING AND EXPOSED CONCRETE BLOCK BASEMENT

The clients asked me to produce a simple and comfortable contemporary styled low cost family home that would take as much advantage as possible of available sunlight and view on this lower cost section lying in the shelter of a wooded south facing hill. The Slack/Vivian house was also entered in the ADNZ/Resene Regional Design Awards 2008. Click here to see the entry (1MB PDF) Visit Will Slack's wbsite - www.makefurniture.co.nz

A full basement option seemed the most cost effective given that some minor excavation was required on the existing gentle slope. Orientation seemed best at North West due to available glimpses of the Nelson ‘Haven’ and so as not to face into the wooded slope. A Passive Solar design was not possible because of poor solar orientation and a lack of thermal mass due to budget restraints limiting structural costs at the upper floor level. So an energy efficient ‘solar tempered’ house was chosen instead with 150 thick exterior framing full of locally made latitude R3.1 ‘Woolbloc’ insulation. R4.4 Woolbloc was used in the skillion ceilings.

Exterior cladding is stained textured plywood with carefully arranged cover battens over a 10mm layer of XPS polystyrene thermal break. All interior linings and joinery fittings are untreated plywood with cover battens while the basement features exposed waterproof concrete blocks laid in stack bond for geometric effect.

Total floor area for this house is 238 sq.m. plus decks of 30 sq.m. It features open plan Living plus three bedrooms including ensuite bathroom upstairs and the addition of an office and rumpus room space in the basement. Total cost of building just $320,000.

Kitchen photos © Make Furniture - Used with permission. Visit www.makefurniture.co.nz

CAD rendered North and aproach View.

View from west.

CAD rendered South view.

CAD rendered image east view.