Centred on two black barn-like structures

A subtle and clever design, ‘Modern Barn Form’ designed by Tane Cox of Red Architecture is centred on two black barn-like structures located in the beautiful rural landscape of Whatawhata. Designed for a young family, the brief called for a home that was child-friendly and could grow with the clients and their children.

A subtle and clever design, ‘Modern Barn Form’ designed by Tane Cox of Red Architecture is centred on two black barn-like structures located in the beautiful rural landscape of Whatawhata. Designed for a young family, the brief called for a home that was child-friendly and could grow with the clients and their children.

It’s a design that really serves its purpose, and although modest in appearance, the two black barn-like structures are hard not to admire when the home finally reveals itself as you wind around the quiet country road.

One of the structures houses the main living and sleeping areas for the property, while the entry and ablutions are in bock forms to the south of the main structure. The secondary black barn holds the garage which is detached from the main dwelling.

Barn Typology

With a real interest in the interaction between architecture and the environment, the traditional barn structure was a concept Cox was keen to explore. Generally confined to the farms of rural New Zealand, most barns are usually organised as part of a collection of buildings, all situated around a common arrival space. However, instead of housing farming equipment and animals, this structure needed to house a family.

Staying true to barn typology, Dimond Roofing Dimondclad Rib 50 vertical run steel was chosen as the primary cladding. Not only was this a cost-effective option, it was also seen as an adaptive cladding that can easily be removed for future alterations, as well as being easily serviceable. The choice of black Dimondclad Rib 50 creates a dominant feature in the landscape and yet the barn typology blends in with the feel and identity of the countryside.

Dimondclad Rib 50 is a versatile cladding that creates a distinctive look whilst maintaining clean lines and weathertight, concealed laps. Bricks from a warehouse that were destroyed in the Christchurch earthquakes and had found their way to a local demolition yard were picked up cheaply and seemed a fitting cladding of the block forms to the south side. They create beauty and contrast against the form of the steel cladding. A secondary barn clad in Dimondclad Rib 50 forms the garage, which is detached from the main building.

Structures were also put in place to allow options in the future - a pergola that will later serve as a guide for an external sliding weather screen, a garage that can easily have lean-to storage to the rear for firewood and an upper loft that can continually increase along the length of the roof space via attic trusses to allow for a growing family.

A cedar-clad recess is cut at the centre of the house and provides a covered outdoor area for the home while creating an outdoor foyer with framed views from the entry and loft. The recess also functions as a passageway to a deck.

Predominant north facing glazing also allows passive solar heating. Solar panels for hot water located on the north facing roof facades.

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