Taylor House pool elevation, Whitby, Porirua
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Residential · Whitby, Porirua

Taylor House

A family home shaped around lifestyle, teenage-friendly zones, a pool setting and strong indoor-outdoor flow to entertaining areas.

The brief

A house planned around family life and entertaining

Glen and Jan Taylor had a clear vision for their home: it needed to suit their lifestyle, provide enough space for teenage-friendly zones, include room for a pool, and create good indoor-outdoor flow to the main entertaining areas.

The design responds with a generous ground floor arranged around formal and informal living spaces, and an upper level that gives additional bedrooms, study areas and family space. The planning balances shared family life with the independence and flexibility that older children need.

We gratefully acknowledge ISP Consulting Engineers Ltd (now CERTA Engineering Ltd) for the structural design, and assistance with draughting by Planwork Ltd.

The success of the construction owes much to the builder, Peter Wehrli, whose exceptional workmanship ensured the house came together with care and precision.

Taylor House — Pool Elevation
Taylor House — Street Elevation

Preliminary sketches

Stephen’s early perspective studies

These initial perspective sketches explored the character of the house, including its curved roof forms, layered volumes and the relationship between the entry, living spaces and outdoor areas.

Stephen’s preliminary Perspective Sketch 1
Stephen’s preliminary Perspective Sketch 2

Design drawings

Plans, sections and elevations

The drawings show how the house was organised across two levels, with living spaces opening to outdoor entertaining areas and the pool, and upper-level accommodation arranged around the family’s day-to-day needs.

Ground floor level
First floor level
North-west elevation and south-east elevation
North-east and south-west elevations
Section B B
Section D D
Site plan — Taylor House, 36 Navigation Drive, Whitby

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