The Arcadia Series: Summit

About the project

The Summit takes the most honest form in residential architecture — the gable — and uses it structurally and spatially. The roof pitch creates a double-height void over the open plan living and dining, and that volume is the heart of the house. Black steel-framed glazing sits between the mezzanine and the void below, borrowing the height for both levels while keeping the two spaces clearly separate.

The mezzanine is where the design earns its flexibility. Lit by a pair of skylights and wrapped in timber battens, it reads as a finished room from the moment you reach the top of the stairs — whether you fit it out as a home office, a lounge away from the main living, or a fourth bedroom for a growing family. Storage tucks neatly into the eave angles on both sides, so none of the roof pitch is wasted.

The palette throughout is warm and considered: plywood ceilings follow the rake of the roof, a dark stone benchtop anchors the kitchen island, and vertical timber battens run full height on the feature wall. The living zone steps through to the garden via wide sliding doors. This is a design that's been thought through — and because it's been designed to be built more than once, every detail has been resolved before the first nail goes in.

Designed in partnership with Dufty + Co Builders — duftybuilders.co.nz.