House Renga
Residential · Kikuyu · 2020-2021 · Complete
- Client
- Private
- Scope
- Modern two-storey home in eucalyptus woodland
- Location
- Kikuyu
Challenge
A double-height contemporary home set into a stand of mature eucalyptus, with steep approach grading and a brief that asked for vertical glazing and a strong material contrast with the surrounding forest.
Approach
We anchored the structure on a stepped base to manage the grade, then layered timber cladding and warm render to break the height of the elevation. Tall narrow window slots track the upright rhythm of the eucalyptus trunks behind.
Materials
- Timber cladding
- Warm render finishes
- Floor-to-ceiling steel glazing
- Reinforced stepped foundations
Outcome
A vertical, contemporary home that holds its own against tall trees rather than hiding among them. Renga is HKM at its most modern.
House Renga was an early test of vertical, modern detailing for the studio. The eucalyptus setting demanded a building that could stand up to it.