The aim was to create a visually balance contemporary look, elegant, timeless and with a restful feel to the decor. Japanese design influenced the planning in this home and is also very evident in colours, materials and interior features. There is a lot of storage spaces in different areas and built in joinery with very efficient use being made of all available space.

Although the house has three main floors, it is actually built on about six different levels. Partly this is because of the sloping hill site ; partly it expresses Japanese design ideas. For example, the Genkan, or entrance foyer is stepped down from the main living area. This defines the space, while the step also serves as a seat when taking off or putting on your shoes.

The main bathroom is rather special. In the west the bath is a place one goes to cleanse the body : In Japan, one goes there to cleanse the soul. It is about tradition and contemplative alone time as much as cleanliness and it has it’s own unique style and aesthetic. The bathroom in this home is slightly different from traditional  Japanese bathrooms. Beside the spa bath is the Tusbo Niwa (miniature Japanese garden). Through the window, an exterior zen rock garden extends the effect to the outdoors. Materials, colours, fittings and lighting have been carefully selected to have continuity with the Japanese aesthetic.

A shoji inspired door divides the main living area and provides another multi-functional space. Due to the size, instead of wood and paper it needed to be made from frosted glass  and aluminium which is powder coated a dark colour. It is 4m wide and 2.8m high in three pieces and slides into a cavity in a stone wall. The track system is total concealed in the ceiling and when open it is practically invisible and the space appears as one large room. A Japanese style entry door is full height, combining frosted glass and cedar in a lattice pattern. Interior doors and frames are Tasmanian Oak and floor to ceiling with the low level doors having five frosted glass square panels. They were custom made by Independent Doors. The effect is very elegant and adds to the restful décor.

Passive solar and energy efficient design features ensure low running costs. A design with Super Insulated, Energy Efficient design that is as easy on the environment as possible, were key considerations in this home. Some of these ideas can by incorporated very cost effectively. The high thermal mass and super-insulation, and energy efficient design details that reduce thermal leakage have been incorporated to help make the house comfortable year round at minimal running cost. The lower level and main level have thick concrete floors with water under-floor heating which is powered by an extremely efficient water heat pump and solar.

The site demanded that the house be positioned to take best advantage of the views and sun, facing north to the city and west to the mountains. As well as the thick concrete floors, concrete block walls also provide high thermal mass, both are super-insulated with 100mm polystyrene under the slab and on the exterior of concrete walls. On the lower level ceilings are exposed concrete. This maximises the heating advantage with heat coming from the ceiling and the floor and also the look of the concrete ceilings adds an interesting aesthetic.

Glass is Low E argon filled double glazing which is more thermally efficient than standard double glazing Window locations and proportions have been carefully designed for a good balance using the suns energy to heat the home but also avoiding over heating by providing large overhangs and sunshades. The perimeter of the main floor has a 1.2m wide strip of dark tiles to help absorb the suns energy into the slab and most of the remainder of the house has eco-friendly bamboo T&G flooring from Takeichiban.

Careful planning has gone into futureproofing the home. TV, data and phone point are all interchangeable throughout with Lexcom cabling system and patch panel from PDL. Lighting design is computer controlled, including LED’s and fluorescents and very innovative and energy efficient. There is a built sound system and Home Theatre with a drop down screen and projector from The listening Post.

Designing to a budget and getting the best bang for buck is always a major consideration. We’ve combined the materials together in a harmonious way, using expensive materials more sparingly as a feature. But the bulk of the construction is concrete block and some timber frame to the upper level, because it is cost effective. When you build on the hills, it makes sense engineering-wise to use concrete. But we also needed the concrete masonry to support the Firth Unispan concrete floors. This also assists with creating a high thermal mass, energy efficient design. Along with the important added benefit of passive solar energy concrete also helps to greatly reduce sound transmission. Sound doesn’t carry through concrete the way it does with timber floors and surprisingly a concrete intermediate floor is very cost competitive compared with timber. Exterior materials are mainly concrete block and Axon Panel with some Cedar, Hinuera Stone, and Classic Stone schist feature walls. Classic Stone Schist is also used on some interior walls and around the fire place which features a huge cantilevered slab of macrocarpa.