b'words: Robyn Yousefpictures: Kallan MacLeod and Victor ChiaThe crisp, contemporary lines of this house, named MountainView by its designerwho created it for his parents retirementmake a strong 21st century style statement in a street dominated by villas from the 1900s, in Aucklands Mt Eden.However, this elegant residence is also a prime successful example of a home that upholds the principles of sustainable design and eco-responsibility. Built to take full advantage of the sunalong with magni cent views of Maungawhau (Mt Eden)MountainView incorporates a raft of environmentally friendly features, and works wonderfully well for Elaine and Alan Strachan and their large extended family.Designed by the couples son Dave and his fellow director, Pat de Pont, at Auckland-based Strachan Group Architects (SGA), it is located on the site of a 1910 workers cottage. The original home has been re-sited and is now in use in Rotorua as a home and of ce.DaveStrachanundertookhisMastersdegreeinsustainabledesign,and environmental ethics underpin all the work carried out by the design team at SGA. Thehas won seven NZIA Resene Architecture Awards, including arm National Award this year, and most of them have been for buildings with a strong environmental agenda. And the careful design of MountainView practically demonstrates how feasible it is to live in an architecturally designed home while considering the environment, even in the construction stage. Using one of the basic principles of ecologically sustainable architecture, the house was oriented to face north to capture the full bene ts of the sun. Its double-height glass frontage also faces the mountain, providing slices of rural vista between the suburban surroundings, while the two-storey atrium attracts light and warmth. Thiswasparticularlyimportant,asthesiteandhousearerectangular, elongated in a north/south direction. The atrium allows the sun to penetrate more deeply into the building, Pat de Pont explains. | 13'