Nestled on the flanks of the Waitākere Ranges west of Tāmaki Makaurau, Tītīrangi has captured the attention of creative types and architects for generations. It’s something to do with the views of the Manukau Harbour, the trees, the sense of retreat from the city and the very real chance of not ever seeing your neighbours. But there is something else going on, too; the topography and regenerating forest lead to inventive houses that have to work harder than most for access to light and views. It’s also a challenging place to build, with tight controls on development.
All these variables were in play for Ben Mitchell-Anyon, of Patchwork Architecture, when it came to designing a new house for a corner site on an established street in the area. Effectively a steep, forested gully featuring an overland flow path, the site, understandably, had never been built on. But the upside? Established trees, views, and afternoon sun. “When we first visited, I said, ‘This looks like a stream,’” says Mitchell-Anyon of the lower part of the section. “We felt really strongly that we shouldn’t build anything down there.”
Owners Blair New and Ben Astwood bought the site in 2019. Their brief to Patchwork was to build a modest three-bedroom home with plenty of storage that was gentle on the environment. “We were drawn to Tītīrangi as we both appreciate architecture and think some of the best-kept secrets are out here,” says New. “And there is a close sense of community which gives our son [two-year-old Beau] a safe environment to grow up in.”
An existing resource consent on the property had established broad parameters for the house – hugging the southeast boundary at the higher end of the site to provide access to sunlight, while leaving the established trees and gully down the lower end. That felt right to Mitchell-Anyon, although he dispensed with a previous plan to build a lower storey housing bedrooms and a garage as this would have required significant earthworks. “We didn’t want to spend a bunch of money making a house for the car,” he says, simply. “And the logistics of building the lower storey were just really expensive.”
Instead, he devised the most rational shape he possibly could: a 14x8-metre rectangular volume floating on steel pilotis above the slope. This left most of the site undisturbed and allows water to drain away without damaging the house – a smart move, given the impacts of flooding in the area in 2023.
But while it’s recessive, this home is not a humble timber box. Both Patchwork and the clients fell in love with the idea of stucco-embossed aluminium tray roofing (the kind of thing used on garage doors and industrial buildings) as their preferred cladding material. “We had a big sample of it in the office when Blair and Ben came in,” says Mitchell-Anyon. “We were discussing the cladding colour and they absolutely loved it – I was quite surprised. But, sitting up in the trees, it feels nice and soft.”
There’s no driveway. Amazingly, in this car-obsessed town, the clients agreed to leave theirs on the road. “It did take a bit to get our heads around,” says New. “But then they said, ‘Would you rather spend another $100,000 or walk three more metres?’” The property is on a quiet side street and, as New points out, when you walk around the area, most cars are parked in driveways, anyway.
Mitchell-Anyon devised a bridge leading from the street to the house, with a bus-stop-style shelter on the boundary that houses bins, bikes, gardening equipment and firewood. It rests on a concrete pad that gives way to the timber bridge leading directly to the front door – a handy racetrack for Beau. “Sometimes we just all hang out, out there,” says New.
Inside, the planning is generous but logical. A bedroom and laundry are on the street side, with a further two bedrooms and a bathroom at the other end of the rectangle. In between, a long kitchen-dining-living space opens like a verandah on the northwestern side, with doors that push back behind a steel balustrade. Another set of doors open to a flat lawn to the southeast. In summer, New and Astwood open the whole house up to catch the breeze. In winter, they hunker down by the fire.
When the couple realised they needed a large stormwater-retention tank, they opted to raise the lawn up and bury the tank underneath it. The house rests at the same level as the lawn and this connection allows it to float among the trees on one side while remaining grounded on the other. Planting will eventually surround the grassy area to create a private green space – their elderly neighbour asked only that they didn’t build a tall timber fence, and New and Astwood were happy to oblige.
Inside, the clients have added colour with cabinetry in Laminex Burnt Ochre teamed with deep-red Topcer tiles in the kitchen. In the bathroom, there’s a vanity made from Laminex French Navy – a deep, dark blue – and the same red tiles. The flooring is cork, soft and warm underfoot, and the ceiling is lined with timber sarking.
Such moves make a small house feel generous; it’s airy and open, but rich, and the view is of the surrounding trees. Despite its position on a corner, it’s amazingly private, and New and Astwood haven’t felt the need to install privacy glass in the bathroom. The stud is high, and the rooms are all a good size. There’s an entirely separate laundry with a second toilet, and one family bathroom. Minimal circulation space, meanwhile, makes this home feel much bigger than its modest 121 square metres.
“It’s a perimeter-versus-floor-area thing,” says Mitchell-Anyon of the approach. “If you have a long house, you have tonnes of windows and walls. We talked a lot about there being almost no circulation, no wasted space. We just wanted to get as much house as possible.”
1. Storage
2. Bridge
3. Entry
4. Laundry
5. Bedroom
6. Living
7. Dining
8. Kitchen
9. Bathroom
