For the owner of this Mt Pleasant home, working with Stephen Fitzgerald Architecture to create a new design to replace the damaged former 1970s house, reflected a lifelong passion for architecture. Stephen Fitzgerald’s design, nicknamed ‘the black box’, is a triumph of understated style.

Words Anna Scaife Photography Mick Stephenson

On arrival at this stylishly-executed hillside home, it is the beautifully framed views from Heathcote Valley to the Southern Alps, superbly balanced with a strong sense of connection to the land, that impress.

The house that previously occupied the site caught owner John's discerning eye when it came up for sale in 2010. He was instantly enamoured with the Jonty Rout designed 70s-style house and the sensational views, so bought it; moving in just nine weeks before the February earthquake struck. Following that event, and the long wait to settle the insurance, Stephen Fitzgerald Architecture was engaged to develop a concept design that resembled living in the landscape.

In a serendipitous twist, then draughting technician, Stephen, had worked with David Sheppard and Jonty Rout at the time of the original design, learning the ropes from the best at a young age.

“I admired David and Jonty’s design abilities and gained a massive amount of knowledge collaborating with them on projects until I completed my Bachelor of Architecture degree at Auckland in 1986,” says Stephen.

The renewed configuration bears little resemblance to what came before. Still, both owner and designer were careful to honour the spirit of the 1970s design in the reimagining of the home. The new 140 square metre floorplan now extends out from the hillside with the upper-level housing entry gallery, living and kitchen plus a discrete service area. While the lower floor comprises three bedrooms, including the master with ensuite, plus the main family bathroom. The floor area has remained the same and, viewed amongst its neighbours, appears petite, taking the form of a box tucked into the slope.

With the build project underway, John met nurse Lyn, and the pair got talking. Lyn confesses to being partial to only wearing black, and she laughs, “When John told me ‘I’m building a black house!’ that caught my attention.” Thus acquainted, the project soon became a shared journey towards the elegant home they now enjoy together.

The tall recessed slot on the facade reveals the entry via a pivot door. A spine wall of art enhances the tradition of the entry gallery drawing you through to the cedar-clad fireplace and opens out to the expansive landscape vistas beyond. Inside the dining room, the sleek linear kitchen is discreet and allows for an unobtrusive flow to the deck. Lyn says the space works beautifully for the two of them. The simplicity and proportions of the rooms give the home a laidback air that a friend once described as a “flash bach”.

The open plan living area gives the impression of two zones delineated by the vertical timber feature wall which houses the gas fireplace. Playing with asymmetry at every opportunity, Stephen Fitzgerald has offset the fire, and each of the large windows facing the view has been treated differently, with one set out from the wall and the other flush with the cladding. A plywood window seat is a well-used perch, with fierce competition between John and Lyn and their two pugs, Carlo and Ike for the best seat in the house.

The steepness of the site and the orientation of the land to the sun were crucial factors informing Stephen’s design and also provided an opportunity to create a large deck bridging over to the ground from the upper house level to provide greater connection to the land. This alleviated the need to retain the house into the hill, and also provides future-proofing against potential earthquakes. The black exterior cladding is vertical shiplap cedar combined with metal cladding. The exterior look was a design element John requested, and he says, “I wanted a shape and form that blended with the landscape and hid itself to an extent.” The designed solutions with integration between hard and soft landscaping were a success.

As the design team at Stephen Fitzgerald Architecture are all affiliated with the New Zealand Green Building Council, are all accredited HomeStar Practitioners, and active members of the SuperHome movement, energy-efficient principles were applied throughout the design. Stephen says, “This home embodies energy-efficient design principles that exceed the building code to create a comfortable environment. The connection to the land and streetscape is what makes this home special and gives it an identity. The architecture allows its occupants to appreciate the magical location fully while providing a modern and clean aesthetic, enhancing their living environments both inside and out.”

Stephen was humbled to be asked to design a home that combined respect for Jonty’s legacy and design principles with his client’s brief, plus the chance to improve the performance of the building to superior health and comfort levels.

John was heavily involved throughout the process and enjoyed the challenge saying, “If a space is well designed, it doesn’t need to be cavernous,” although he admits his love of designer objects, particularly chairs, means the garage remains jam-packed. The project allowed John to exercise his eye for design and having recently completed an architectural degree, this home could be just the beginning for him. Of working alongside John, Stephen says, “John has an amazingly astute eye for finesse and detail. He was a valued member of the design collaboration process.”

Settled and loving their decision to live on the hill, John and Lyn are thrilled with the results, finding living there relaxing and peaceful. The home’s connection to the street also offers a sense of community. “We love living here. We live in it as if it was a bach.” Grown-up children come and go, and Lyn says, “The kids love coming home.”

With his study completed and his interest in design as strong as ever, this is unlikely to be John’s last project. Still, both homeowner and designer are justifiably proud of their to reinvent a classic residence and create a thoroughly modern home that brings a lot of joy.

021 379 645 | stephenfitzgerald.co.nz