Hawake's Bay House

Owner: Miss J. Mackenzie.

Architects: Natusch and Sons, Napier.

Builder: F. W. Berry and Sons, Havelock North.

Problems: To design an economic two-bedroom unit requiring minimum housekeeping and encouraging gracious unhampered living. The view across the Heretaunga plains coincided with the sun and so provided no difficulty. The strong Hawke's Bay sunlight and glare had to be guarded against by using low overhanging eaves and natural weathered Redwood boarding on the exterior to avoid screwed-up eyes when sitting on the brick terrace.

Construction: Orthodox timber frame construction but with 7′ 6″ external stud and 9′ 6″ bearing beam ridge. Underside of 6″ × 2″ rafters form sloping ceilings averaging 8′ 3″ in height. The 3′ 6″ eaves are sufficiently low to control sun and glare very well. The terrace is surfaced with red bricks bedded in sand. There is no reflected glare through the large living-room windows such as would have been the case if uncoloured concrete had been used.

Results: The one-door entry works well as main entry and service doors combined. This can only apply where there is a close indoor-outdoor relationship, such as living-room and terrace illustrated. It has been found very desirable to keep the terrace private and free from main or service entries, as opposed to the more usual method of making main approach across the terrace. Simple construction and window details helped to keep down cost without sacrificing quality.

Finance: Well-known insurance companies lending on houses have shown great enthusiasm for such house design—rather strange after our experiences with the State Advances Corporation, who are reluctant to lend on much of our work, evidently because we do not design houses in accordance with out-of-date ideas.