Studio House by William Samuels Architects
When New Zealand-based architect William Samuels and his partner struggled to secure a home within their budget in Nelson, New Zealand, they decided to design and construct a home themselves on leasehold land – all without breaking the bank.
Words: Hande Renshaw I Photography: Simon Devitt
Architect William Samuels and his partner Hannah D’Arcy, designed and built their own home in Nelson, New Zealand. Photo: Simon Devitt
‘Reducing upfront costs provided us with the financial flexibility needed to focus our attention on the spatial qualities and liveability of the home,’ says William Samuels. Photo: Simon Devitt
Natural materials have been used wherever possible, with rimu lining boards providing the internal skin. Black MDF sheets were used for the joinery, including the kitchen cabinetry – no paint was used within the project. Photo: Simon Devitt
Studio House is located on leased land and can be easily transported to a new location. Photo: Simon Devitt
Although small, the home has been designed to be fit for purpose, a comfortable home for a couple that allows for a high degree of liveability, without the need for compromise. Photo: Simon Devitt
The house is designed to spill out onto the deck through large format sliding doors, creating an extension of the living area. Photo: Simon Devitt
When William Samuels Architects director, William Samuels and his partner Hannah D’Arcy started on the joinery to purchase their own home, they were faced with the challenge of finding a house within an unaffordable and overinflated market. They decided to explore an alternate path, choosing to build a house on leased land using a ‘shared equity’ ownership model.
‘This presented the opportunity to directly tackle a number of key ideas, including; housing affordability, sustainable design, the liveability of smaller spaces, adaptable architecture and the nature of home,’ shares William.
Despite having no construction experience, the couple decided to design and construct their own home at a cost of NZD$150,000 (equivalent to approximately AUD$140,000) and positioned it on rented land in Nelson, New Zealand.
New Zealand boasts some of the world's most unaffordable housing, and the Nelson-Tasman area ranks as the second least affordable region in the nation – primarily attributed to the overinflated value of the land itself, rather than the value of the dwelling built on it.
‘To address this, we looked at how to detach the house value from the land value. The Studio House is built upon leasehold land with a long term agreement with the landowner to ensure security of tenure, thereby eliminating the upfront costs associated with purchasing a section,’ says William.
This means that available capital is invested in the construction of the house, rather than being sunk into the property. ‘Reducing these upfront costs provided us with the financial flexibility needed to focus our attention on the spatial qualities and liveability of the home,’ William says.
To build upon leasehold land the house needed to be relocatable, allowing it to be easily moved on completion of the lease or if the couple find themselves in a position to purchase land elsewhere in the future.
Over the course of 18 months, the couple steadily constructed their 42 square-metre, transportable, and adaptable house, all within their allocated budget.
At only 42 square metres, the house is small, similar in nature to a studio apartment. Although small in spatial sizing, it has been designed to be fit for purpose, a comfortable home for a couple that allows for a high degree of liveability without the need for compromise. The house is made up of two connected modules, which can be pulled part. One module contains the kitchen study and bathroom, with the loft above and the second includes bedroom and living space.
For the modules to be easily relocatable they needed to be narrow enough to fit on a trailer, which restricted the width of each room. To create a greater sense of volume, the modules are joined via an open ‘pinwheel’ plan, where each functional space within the home connects to a larger conjoined central area, resulting in a series of spaces with shared volumes. More modules can be added to the home should more bedrooms, workspaces, or other areas be required in future.
Though small, the Studio House tackles some big ideas. ‘As an exploration of an affordable path to home ownership, a more sustainable approach to building and a testament to the liveability of smaller spaces, the house serves as a model for an alternate mode of living and as a radical departure in how we think about “home”,’ says William.
To build upon leasehold land the house needed to be relocatable, allowing it to be easily moved on completion of the lease or if the couple find themselves in a position to purchase land elsewhere in the future. Photo: Simon Devitt
“As architects we should be advocating for alternate modes of living, demonstrating that there are ways to live well without needing to build to excess.”
‘Our primary goal with this design was to achieve a high degree of liveability and amenity within a small build, to demonstrate not only a more sustainable approach to building but an affordable one, a model that could be used by others to access quality design on a restricted budget.’ Photo: Simon Devitt
At only 42 square metres, the house is small, similar in nature to a studio apartment. Photo: Simon Devitt
The study nook sits under the elevated sleeping space in the loft. Photo: Simon Devitt
‘For the modules to be easily relocatable they needed to be narrow enough to fit on a trailer, which restricts the width of each room.’ Photo: Simon Devitt