00:07One of the things that's unique about this place is the position on the hill. It has a
00:13unique vantage point of Wellington City with the harbour to the north and the
00:18Ronga Ronga Mountains to the south. The weather is constantly changing. The view
00:25is always different and the light quality and the studio is constantly
00:30changing as well.
00:38The studio is used as an artist studio for my husband Richard. It's also used as
00:44an architecture studio and we also have family members and guests can come and
00:51stay.
00:54We designed and crafted this building from timber from my father's family
01:00farm in Whakatane in the North Island. The layout of the studio and the position on
01:08the site was driven by our two prevailing winds, the northeast and the southerly
01:13and also the sun path.
01:17The driving factors behind the form of the building is the wind pressures that we
01:23have in this location. Having a steep pitch helps with those pressures.
01:30We used redwood cladding for the exterior of the building grown in New Zealand and
01:35proved to be a very durable, sustainable material. We decided to stain it a dark colour, a very,
01:44very dark brown, to minimise the visual impact of the building on the ridge line.
01:51Also having a very strong, simple gable form kept the cost of the building down but it also
01:59allowed us to have a variety of spaces.
02:03The studio is 36 square metres as a footprint and then there's a 9 square metre mezzanine.
02:11The orientation of the building maximises the solar gain in winter and we've used very high insulation
02:20to retain that heat in winter. Often on a nice sunny day in winter we don't need to use the
02:28fireplace to stay warm.
02:34We've also got the sliding doors meeting on the corner so that we can ventilate the space and protect ourselves
02:40from the prevailing winds.
02:44The living space is a very flexible space. It's been designed so we can move the furniture around.
02:52We have a couch which folds out to a bed so we can accommodate up to four guests in the
02:58studio.
03:03We have a centrally located fireplace.
03:07In a small space you don't want to be tripping over a house so we made sure that the
03:12tiles and the timber were flush.
03:17The kitchenette is designed as a multi-use space.
03:20There is a bench which is used as a desk when I use it as an architecture studio.
03:26The bench top itself was from a tree that had fallen down on my husband's parents' property.
03:32Above the desk is a long low window which allows you to look out to the east to the Orangauronga
03:39mountains.
03:44There's also a kitchen bench top where we have a sink and it's used as a kitchenette with a
03:51small fridge and microwave.
03:55Lots of the other cupboards in the kitchen have been salvaged and reused from other pieces of furniture
04:03that we had and customised to fit into the space that was left over.
04:10We also have a window which allows light from the west to flow through the bathroom and into the kitchen.
04:19In the studio we focus the storage around the kitchen area.
04:23There's also string shelving which allows all those beautiful things that you want to be able to store
04:30but also see to be on display.
04:33We also design the kitchen with the future in mind so that an oven or a laundry could be installed
04:41at a
04:42later date if you were to turn the studio into a permanent dwelling.
04:49The mezzanine space is a space for sleeping or reading, relaxing.
04:55We also have a screen up there for TV or movies.
04:59The mezzanine space you can access from the main living space via a ladder and it is a full height
05:07gesture which goes the entire height of the studio and is attached to the floor and also the roof beam.
05:14So you can go up the ladder and then step off at the appropriate height.
05:22For the windows we use double glazing and we also have an operable roof window to encourage cross
05:30ventilation during the summer and also in the winter if the fire's on and the heat rises
05:36the roof window's a great way to ventilate the space.
05:43The bathroom in the studio is quite a small space so we wanted to enhance the feeling of space
05:51by using light by having a long slotted window that faces towards the southwest.
05:58We also use continuous floor finishes from the main living space through the bathroom
06:04and into the shower we've got the same finish but we've turned it into a slatted floor to let the
06:09water drain through. We also position the toilet just tucked out of the way so you can't see it
06:15from the living area. In the evening we have George Nelson pendant lights which hang from the ridgeline
06:24in the studio and that allows light to bounce around in all directions.
06:30We also have wall lighting in the kitchen and the bathroom and mezzanine areas and they are salvaged retro
06:38lights. In a small space it's really important to reduce clutter on the floor surface. All of the
06:45furniture in the studio is up on legs so you get that feeling of continuity of space flowing under the
06:52pieces of furniture and it also helps to bounce the light around the space. Another thing that's
06:57really important and is pictures that have glass on them can act as as mirrors to bounce light around
07:03the space and make the space feel a lot bigger. The deck has been designed as an extension of the
07:10living
07:10space. It extends two meters to the north and the east of the living area and it's made from white
07:18ash.
07:20Studio 74 is a great example of using the space that we already have in our backyards. It can be
07:27a
07:27building that we use as a family now but into the future it may be a multi-generational space where
07:34parents come and stay or even our children when they are ready to leave home. It's really important
07:39to use what we already have to reduce urban sprawl in our cities and to reduce the impact on our
07:45environment.
07:46So
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