Engawa House is a contemporary two-storey residence conceived as a builder’s own home, marking a significant point in his career. Designed and constructed for himself and his family, the project draws on a lifetime of experience in the building industry.

Located on a busy urban street in Ashburton and overlooking a public park, the site required a careful balance between openness and privacy, and connection with retreat. The house was to engage with the park frontage while maintaining a sense of shelter from the street.

A key driver of the brief was the incorporation of traditional Japanese spatial principles – particularly engawa, and layered thresholds such as sudare and amado – to mediate between inside and out. A strong relationship between house and landscape was essential, with layered gardens and outdoor spaces forming part of the everyday living experience.

The design interprets traditional Japanese principles through a contemporary New Zealand lens, translating ideas of layering, control, and transition into a clear architectural response.

The street elevation is defined by overlapping sliding screens that reinterpret sudare and amado, filtering light, providing privacy, and allowing the façade to shift between openness and enclosure.

Planning is organised around a sequence of transitional spaces. Covered terraces and garden courtyards are integrated into the T-shaped plan, forming a continuous edge between interior and exterior. These spaces extend living areas outward while maintaining shelter, enabling a controlled engagement with the park frontage.

Material selection reinforces this approach. Precast concrete panels ground the building and provide durability, while cedar soffits extend from exterior to interior, introducing warmth and continuity. The restrained palette allows each material to express its role clearly.

Glazing is positioned to frame views to the park while maintaining privacy from the street, with solid elements and screens creating a balanced rhythm of openness and enclosure.