Box Living

Arhaus Group Ltd

This modular house is reminiscent of the American case study houses of the 40's and 50's, with the use of engineered timber beams in place of steel.

The house is modular, consisting of two off-set timber framed boxes, creating a 3 bedroom house for a young family. The design is reminiscent of the American case study houses of the 40’s and 50’s. The important difference is that BOX have used engineered timber beams in place of steel.

The frames consist of large radiata pine Glulam timber ring beams, supported by laminated timber posts. The engineered timber structure allows spans over 6m in length to create a look and feel traditionally associated with steel frame structures. The engineered timber structure, together with the steel cross braces, provide all the structural support required for the house, allowing great flexibility in how the house is arranged internally. The roof fits cleanly within the depth of the top ring beam, and the floor sits within the depth of the lower ring beam.

The cladding of the house is made from a sandwich panel, the skins of which are made from cement and timber ‘Amroc’ panels. These run behind the posts leaving us with an ‘inside out’ look with the timber house structure being a key feature of the building.

The radiata pine engineered beams have been coloured a dark wood stain.

The external decking is eucalyptus saligna and the internal floor is oak.

The house is the first one built using a modular building system developed by BOX Living. The engineered timber beams are an important architectural feature that both creates the sharp lines and angles traditionally associated with modernist architecture and serves as the structure of the house itself. The laminated post and beam ‘boxes’ can be arranges in many different configurations, enabling us to suit the building to site and brief. Being a modular system, they are efficient to build and cost-effective. The house was originally a challenge to use timber to create an architecture traditionally possible only with steel frames. It has been transformed into a unique modular building system that uses timber as the most important element of the house – both structurally and aesthetically.

Location:

Murawai, Auckland

Awards:

Highly Commended - Residential Engineering Excellence
NZ Wood Timber Design Awards 2009