Architect Dave Strachan discusses his urban oasis

Article by Home Magazine

Encased in bunker-like cladding and concrete, Dave Stachan’s Mt Eden home is a bullet-proof sanctuary in a busy setting. Check out the Q&A with him below

Scroll down to take a tour through this robust, urban home

Architect Dave Strachan discusses his urban oasis

Before you bought the site, you took your whole team to see it. Why?
Most projects have a number of constraints; the team can learn how to identify both those and the positives. This makes the site-purchase process much more robust and sets up a design brief that needs to take account of these issues.

It’s a busy road with apartment buildings on both sides. What was the attraction?
As city dwellers, we should ideally live close to transport routes. Also, sites with constraints offer challenges: we love taking these on board and certain things come out of the design process that would not be there on easier sites. And the site has the powerful presence of Maungawhau to the east and vistas to the west as the land falls away, a kind of landscape ‘bridge’ from east to west.

Your wife Col is a local real-estate agent and you’ve lived in the area a long time. How did that influence the design?
Re-sale considerations are too often a driver for design, so this is designed solely around our family’s needs. Given we have a very low-energy, low-maintenance home, we expect it would suit any family at our stage of life.

I’m really lucky that Col largely lets us get on with the architecture but makes sure critical things about the way we live have been addressed. For example, a bath (and a swimming pool) for the grandkids/nieces/nephews, white walls for the art, good lighting and a large fridge so we can feed all the clan when they visit.

The house is an embodiment of a familiar conundrum – how do you downsize while still having room for extended family?
Yes our modest-sized house has only one living room and three bedrooms (one is a flexi-space for guests, music, study, TV) but we have both east and west dining spaces, so you can follow the sun, and we can wheel together two tables for the frequent family dinners, parties and various events.

How has the community responded to the place?
It’s been amazing really, from people stopping and talking to us outside on the footpath, to our 24 neighbours in the flats both sides, the response has been really positive.

Everyone in between has openly expressed the fact that they like our house. Contemporary architecture can often be alienating for the general public; it has been quite special receiving such positive feedback.

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Not since he graduated as an architect has Dave Strachan had the opportunity to design a home for his family. He’s future-proofed this one with solar panels, water tanks and ‘superinsulation’.

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The full-length window beneath the gable roof gives passersby on the street a view through to the gully beyond.

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Dave describes the light and leafy courtyard as a “transition space” where Lawson cypress panels serve as an aromatic and noise-dampening cloak.

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The multi-generational home sits between two apartment blocks on a busy main road in suburban Auckland.

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The painting in the wall recess is by Jane Pierce.

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Dave has also made the home for himself – there are no lawns to mow, fences to paint or panels to replace.

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The concrete base of the in-situ pool fence with folded galvanised steel panels.

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With sky and treetops, the view from the pool dispels the sense of being in the suburbs.

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Jennie Strachan sits on a ‘Clerici’ chair by Konstantin Grcic for Mattiazzi from Simon James Design. The ‘Bo’ dining chairs by Philippe Starck are from Skinner Design. Above the table is a ‘Parison’ pendant by Nat Cheshire for Resident.

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Maria Hosking from SGA in the kitchen designed by SGA Workshop and made of birch ply in a powder-coated steel frame. The ‘Bramah’ pendant lights by Michael Young for EOQ are from Simon James Design. ‘Bo’ chairs by Philippe Starck from Skinner Design sit at the dining table by SGA Workshop. The chair in the foreground is ‘Pick up Sticks’ by Resident.

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One of Dave’s favourite spots is the leather benchseat by SGA Workshop, with its views to Maungawhau. The painting above the window is by Donna North. Above the ‘Outline’ sofa by Simon James is ‘Tidelings’ by Miriam van Wezel.

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Black-oxide concrete floors temper the Lawson cypress ceiling and birch ply library unit by SGA Workshop. The ‘Hem Pocket’ chairs by Ding3000 at the base of the library are from The Ivy House.

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The galley-like en suite of the main bedroom brings nature in through the slim floor-to-ceiling window.

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Dave and his granddaughter Thea take a peak through the exterior panels. From the paneling to negative detailing, numerous refined finishes are revealed throughout. The ‘Vessel’ lights by Samuel Wilkinson for Decode are from ECC.