Outside the box
This delightfully unpredictable home in Cass Bay, designed by Bull O’Sullivan Architecture, demonstrates that the journey of building a home can be just as magical as the end result.
WORDS Kathy Catton PHOTOGRAPHY Patrick Reynolds
Complex ground conditions, curved retaining and external walls and combined use of steel lattice and plywood diaphragms were all part of Quoin Structural Consultants’ brief, making the team at Quoin integral to the design process – a mediator between physics and architecture.
“You have to be a little bit crazy to get something that is remarkable and fun and different,” says homeowner Aaron Green of his award-winning copper-clad home in Cass Bay, just outside Lyttelton.
The house is situated right next to the beach at this coastal spot, where the waves and magnificent views of Te Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour and Horomaka Banks Peninsula inspire a sense of awe and wonder.
It’s here that visionary architect Michael O’Sullivan of Bull O’Sullivan (BOS) Architecture and his team collaborated with Aaron and his wife Christine, to bring to life a residence that doesn’t just sit by the sea but resonates with its ebbs and flows.
The brief from Aaron and Christine was surprisingly simple: A three-bedroom home with five-car garaging and a home theatre. “We told Michael that we like to spend lots of time together as a family, so open plan living was important,” says Aaron. “And my one strange request was to have a car in my office.”
Software engineer by trade, and an architecture- and car-enthusiast, Aaron was introduced to architect Michael, who lives in Lyttelton, via a friend. The pair instantly hit it off. “It was always on our bucket list to build an architectural home, so when this spot came up for sale in Cass Bay, we knew it was time. Michael walked us through some of his other builds, and we loved the extensive use of natural materials and the post-modern, warm and homely look and feel,” says Aaron.
The bespoke hot tub on the deck of this home was built by Colonial Hot Tubs with expert installation, including a silent pump, ozone sanitation, custom seat and 3Kw heater all out of sight. The height of the tub was carefully calculated to take in the view while maintaining privacy.
Michael’s 428sqm, three-level design is masterfully conceptualised to reflect the natural undulations of the volcanic landscape and the seascape, with sweeping curves and very few straight lines. Frank Lloyd Wright and Alvar Aalto’s work have been voiced as inspirations for this home. At first glance from the road, the house seems to rise up towards the sea and then dip in an organic rhythm, blurring the lines between constructed space and natural wonder.
Brad Bonnington, architect with BOS Architecture based in Auckland, who worked with Michael on the project, says the homeowners were happy with a fluid brief and were incredibly trusting of the team and the process.
“Aaron and Christine weren’t afraid to hear out our design decisions. This approach made the design even more successful,” says Brad. “They very much embraced the process.”
Taking this leap of faith was not hard for the couple. “Michael is really good at understanding how humans exist, and he understood our concerns and needs as well,” says Aaron. “When we did have the occasional wobble, he was very gracious about it and took time to explain his thinking and let us sit with different options for a day or so.”
One such minor wobble came early on when the originally chosen cedar cladding was priced up and proved unjustifiably expensive and unworkable.
A re-think was required. Renowned for its durability and resilience, copper was chosen instead, not only for its better pricing point and structural benefits but also for its aesthetic attributes. “When the copper first went on, it was really shiny and reflective,” says Aaron. “We weren’t sure how it would look, but we are delighted with the result.”
The Avenir Heated Towel Rail (Stainless Steel finish), supplied by Plumbline, adds a sleek look to this stunning bathroom.
Over time, the copper skin of the home is designed to develop a verdigris patina (green or blueish surface on copper), reflecting the changing colours of the sea and sky. This living surface ensures that the home evolves visually with its changing hues. A couple of years since construction, the facade has already mellowed and is now more of a rusty orange colour.
These curving exterior shapes of the home are a lyricism of the landscape and can easily be described as a work of art or extraordinary sculpture.
The interior is no less impressive. Michael and Brad designed the living spaces to capture the light and vistas in such a way that each individual room has its own view – whether that be of nearby Quail Island, the hillside and ridgeline to the north, or the sea view to the south. “It’s an interesting site as, for the most part, it’s south-facing. In winter you lose light very early and we also have a public beachfront, so we had to create and consider privacy,” says Brad.
The wave theme continues inside with curved windows, walls and stairwells. A clever use of skylights and strategically placed windows channels light and vistas into the heart of the home, playing off copper accents and warm wood tones.
“Much of this project was about the play of expansion and compression,” says Brad. “For instance, some of the ceilings are lower than expected, whereas elsewhere, there are high volumes with skylights.”
The detail is exquisite, with every piece of furniture being thought through, designed and created by BOS Architecture. “Even the oak flooring is patterned in such a way as to be a play on the landscape,” says Brad. “We followed the ridge line of the Port Hills and created a parquet flooring pattern to reflect that – another design- based decision.”
A build of this complexity was bound to come with some challenges. “There was a pipe to relocate from under the foundations; some under runners on the property to deal with, for example,” says Brad. “But during the actual build process everyone got on well together and it was a highly collaborative project.”
Aaron set up a portable office cabin on site and ran his business from there for the duration of the build. “Michael visited every week and it was just such a great project to be involved with,” Aaron says. From bespoke curved sliding window doors to custom in- built furniture, the detail in this home highlights the meticulous exercise in precision engineering, technical expertise and innovative design. “We were committed to creating a home that will stand in time for 100 years and more,” says Aaron.
Future generations of architects, builders and homeowners will undoubtedly look to this home as a bold reminder of what’s possible when dreams and design converge. Or as Aaron says: “When everyone trusts each other and the homeowners let these skilled people do their job to allow something beautiful to happen.”
Added to this journey was the Grand Designs New Zealand TV crew involved in the filming of the home build. Aaron says, “By documenting the process we wanted to show that when you put trust in a great designer and a great team and you empower them all to do what they are great at, then the project will run smoothly and successfully. Opportunities arose that we never dreamed of and these exceeded our expectations.”
Undeniably, the journey of creating this home was not merely about building a structure; it was about crafting a legacy. While the ocean continues to whisper its timeless tales to the copper exterior, the home
remains a testament to the wonder of architectural imagination, the ability of these homeowners to be open-minded and brave, and the enduring human desire to create spaces that resonate with their inhabitants.
Involved in this project
ARCHITECT
BOS Architecture
09 358 3882
bosarchitecture.co.nz
BUILDER
Clive Barrington Builders
03 343 2010
clivebarrington.com
ENGINEER
Quoin Structural Consultants
03 968 4925
quoin.co.nz
ROOFING & CLADDING
The Architectural Roofing Company
03 335 0462
tarc.co.nz
BATHROOM TILES
Nextdore Interiors
03 366 9400
nextdore.co.nz
HOT TUB
Colonial Hot Tubs
0800 468 882
hottubs.co.nz
HEATED TOWEL RAIL
Plumbline
0800 499 411
plumbline.co.nz
