Roberts Gray Architects marries blockwork and charred timber for New Zealand home
Exposed blockwork walls are contrasted by screens of lightweight steel and blackened timber at SKI House in Wānaka, New Zealand, created by local studio Roberts Gray Architects.
Overlooking the nearby mountains, the house is designed for the parents of studio co-founder James Gray, who have lived next to the site for over two decades.
This led to the home being given the playful name of SKI House, which is an acronym for "spending kids' inheritance", while also nodding to the area's famous ski resorts.
Described by Roberts Gray Architects as an "urban sanctuary", the home presents an abstract, blocky facade to the street, but opens up to reveal a courtyard garden and panoramic mountain views framed by solid walls and openable screens.
"The project presents itself as a series of solid geometric forms, thoughtfully arranged to establish a balance between openness and enclosure," the studio told Dezeen.
"These forms are tied together by a lightweight screen system, courtyards and carefully placed openings – creating dynamic interplays of light and shadow within," it added. "The outcome is an urban sanctuary amidst Wānaka's dynamic landscape, inviting the next generation to enjoy it into the future."
SKI House's black screens, made from steel and charred timber, conceal both a garage and an entrance door facing the street.
They extend into the site to wrap a large courtyard, before opening out onto a rear garden.
Alongside the central living area, these screens create a double skin, with a barbecue veranda positioned between an inner layer of sliding glass doors and an outer layer of sliding charred timber screens.
Contrasting these slatted and glazed areas are the home's exposed blockwork walls, teamed with stone paving in the living area and built-in storage in the kitchen.
"The pairing of materials is deliberate and thoughtful," said the studio. "For instance, galvanised steel is paired with blockwork as the tonality and weathering of the two are homogeneous."
"Blackened steel, prone to surface rust, finds synergy with charred cedar," it added. "The similarity in grain structure between Japanese cedar and American oak, a softwood paired with a hardwood, demonstrates consideration of both aesthetics and practicality."
A corridor that can be completely opened to the central courtyard via sliding glass screens connects to the home's two ground-floor bedrooms. Each of these leads to a private courtyard and has access to a central bathroom with an outdoor shower.
On the small first floor, a single additional bedroom extends into a tall blockwork volume, with a desk positioned to enjoy panoramic views of the mountains.
Other residential projects in New Zealand recently published on Dezeen include a towering extension that mimics a treehouse and a holiday lodge wrapped in a skin of corrugated polycarbonate.
SKI House was featured in a video produced by Dezeen for appliance brand Fisher & Paykel, which provided the home's kitchen fittings.
The photography is courtesy of Roberts Gray Architects.
The post Roberts Gray Architects marries blockwork and charred timber for New Zealand home appeared first on Dezeen.
