Dogbox
Space Craft Architects & Patchwork Architecture
88m2 (+ 88m2 covered exterior space)
$160,000
SPACECRAFTARCHITECTS.CO.NZ
patchworkarchitecture.co.nz
Photography by Paul McCredie
The Project - FROM THE ARCHITECT’S WEBSITES:
The design of the DOGBOX was directly influenced by 4 rusty trusses we bought off Trademe, and a small (but very sunny) area of flat ground at the top of a steep section.
The number and dimensions of the trusses defined the overall width and shape of the roof. The house is two stories, with half of the area under the roof being interior space (88 sqm) and half exterior. The exterior half serves as circulation, and includes outdoor rooms which are semi-enclosed by moveable screens.
The lower floor has a poured insitu concrete wall along the back, working both as thermal mass and as a retaining wall to the steep bank behind. This level contains the laundry, kitchen and living areas, and large sliding doors open out onto the garden and the wharf deck.
The upper floor is much lighter in comparison, with plywood lined timber framed walls supporting the steel trusses, which though incredibly heavy are visually light. Twinwall polycarbonate panels separate the rooms and allow for soft high level light.
The house is well insulated, double glazed, and has a Tiny-Rad woodburner for heating the space and hot water.
The DOGBOX was designed by Tim Gittos [of Spacecraft Architects] with Ben Mitchell-Anyon and Sally Ogle (of Patchwork Architecture), and built over a year with the help of Caroline Robertson. Construction of the DOGBOX was completed in December 2012.
For a more indepth desciption of the process of building the Dogbox head to patchworkarchitecture.co.nz/writing/building-the-dogbox
Low Cost
A few factors contribute to keeping the cost of building the Dogbox relatively low. The first and most obvious is that almost all the work was done by the architects/designers themselves with the help of a few volunteers, leading to significant savings in labour costs.
Second, due to their restricted budget, the architects chose to use materials that are simple and inexpensive. You can notice this in the wire balustrades, use of plywood, or the polycarbonate sheets throughout the home.
Third, the home was designed in such a way that half of the livable space is outside the closed building envelope. This outside space requires less building work and material and therefore costs less.
While not a construction cost, money was of course saved by being able to do all the drawings and file the paperwork themselves.
About the Architects
Spacecraft Architects and Patchwork Architecture were in some ways both born out of the directors working together to create the Dogbox - a project that was the application of their theoretical understanding of architecture. Tim Gittos went on to found Spacecraft Architects and Ben Mitchell-Anyon and Sally Ogle went on to found Patchwork Architecture.
Patchwork Architects now focus on helping their clients “...create beautiful, efficient, warm, economical spaces that suit their purpose and location”. Similarly, Spacecraft Architects seek to “...create beautiful, affordable architecture which springs from climatic and cultural context. Environmental responsibility underpins all of our work, along with a commitment to creating spaces that are a delight to experience”.
Contact
If you want to get in touch with either of them or check out their other projects you can at spacecraftarchitects.co.nz or patchworkarchitecture.co.nz
