Angle Grinder by Frazerhurst Architects

Perched on the slopes of a volcanic crater in suburban Auckland, this angular, four-level home unfolds down its site, defining a striking sequence of internal and external spaces that engage with the landscape.

Designed as a forever home for the clients to downsize into, Angle Grinder presents a tight program of spaces “challenging the commonly held belief that you need more space to achieve a better result,” says director, Mark Frazerhurst. The steep site in Auckland’s Eastern Bays inspired a stepped spatial arrangement, with a folding black form constituting roof and wall planes gently descending the site and linking each level of the house. “The home explores what’s possible on a limited budget and a challenging site, but it is armed with passion, patience and a lot of hard work,” reflects Frazerhurst.

A journey of steps and wedge-shaped landings lead to the home’s entry level, where a double-height volume creates a feeling of generosity, belying the home’s compact footprint.

A journey of steps and wedge-shaped landings lead to the home’s entry level, where a double-height volume creates a feeling of generosity, belying the home’s compact footprint. A main bedroom suite addresses views down the slope, while a hidden door conceals an internal stairway to the garage below. Ascending the main stair, an open kitchen and dining space capture commanding views over the park and sports fields below, with broad folding doors connecting to a private terrace nestled into the slope. To the west, an integrated fireplace anchors an intimate lounge space to rest and retreat, with ancillary spaces – a powder room, laundry, art room, deck and guest sleeping loft – concealed to the east. A book-lined stair leads up to a study and lookout at the top of the home: a welcome place to unwind and take in the surrounds.

Throughout, Frazerhurst Architects limited internal doors, “instead separating space by volume, level and material changes,” explains Frazerhurst. This strategy, in combination with open vertical connections between levels, encourages thermal convection to passively cool the home in the summer months. Level-changes and stairs were consciously embraced “to maintain and prolong the owner’s fitness and activity, rather than act as an impediment, as is often the case for ageing occupants,” explains Frazerhurst. These vertical circulation routes serve as sculptural insertions in the plan and eliminate single-use hallways.

Internally and externally, Angle Grinder House balances “the warmth of timber, earthly feeling of stone and recessive quality of the black screens,” says Frazerhurst.

Internally and externally, Angle Grinder House balances “the warmth of timber, earthly feeling of stone and recessive quality of the black screens,” says Frazerhurst. Overlapping the treatment and execution of these primary materials allowed the design team to repeat patterns in the timber, stonework and other finishes to lend cohesion – a strategy further bolstered through recurring angular motifs in joinery, detailing and decor.

Navigating a challenging site that required all building materials and design elements to be manually handled into position, Frazerhurst believes “the more constraints imposed, the bigger the reward and satisfaction.” Deftly arranged across its sloping site, Angle Grinder is testament to delivering “more with less,” its expressive throughline supporting the idea that “architecture, especially personal homes, needn’t be too serious.”

Architecture, interior and landscape design by Frazerhurst Architects. Build by Anderson Concepts Construction. Engineering by KCL Engineering. Joinery by Distinction Joinery.