McIntyre Milne House

The site is located on an elevated rural property above Brightwater. The building site is on a gently sloping north facing spur. It has magnificent 360 degree views but is also very exposed to the prevailing winds. Our clients have lived on the property for several years in a container. They know the site well and love the expansive views but were also very aware of the need to provide protected areas from the wind. They wanted a house that would sit gently into the landscape. It was to feel natural and modern with large expanses of glass to maximise the views. Preferred materials were polished concrete, concrete block, glass and cedar. They also wanted a passive solar designed house. They needed a house that could be built in stages and liked the idea of a courtyard house to provide the much needed protection from the wind.

 The initial concept plans were prepared in 2007. The design is based around the courtyard with the house stepping down the hillside following the  contours. Stage 1 is the main living module, Stage 2 module contains a second living area and additional bedrooms. Stage 3 includes the garage and entry into the courtyard. Stage 1 detailed design drawings were prepared in 2010 and is now under construction. The stage 1 module is a simple rectangle. The entire north face of the living areas is glass, protected by wide overhangs to control the summer sun. The living areas also open to the west and back out to the south to the future courtyard.

The high levels of insulation, concrete floor and feature internal concrete block walls provide high thermal mass and solar gain to naturally heat the house. Hot water pipes running through the polished concrete floor help balance the temperature in winter.