The Space Invader is shaped by an intimate connection with its planted landscape and urban environment. To some, it has hints of the dystopian (e.g. you don’t see many black-painted floors) – but we believe it reflects the pursuit of a new suburban architecture that is robust and humane.

The design solution embraces both the slope of the site and the request for a flat, north-facing yard. The level of the backyard continues through the generous living volume and appropriates the roof of the volume below as an informal outdoor deck. From this ‘eyrie’, an extension of the living area that maximises the usable outdoor space of the site, beautiful views of Auckland’s volcanic cones await. 

While steel screens and profiled-metal roofs and cladding accentuate the ‘heavy metal’ theme, cedar to the north and facing the street elevation softens the aesthetic, creating a ‘more neighbourly’ presence in the established residential street.

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