b'materials. Pat points out that the gabion boundary walls,Living in the hub of Mt Eden means they dont have toProtect exterior timber for example, are made from volcanic rock taken fromuse the car so much, and theyre closer to their antiquesfrom the environment with Environmental the site when it was cleared, also saving the money andbusiness,basedinnearbyEpsom.ItalsomeanstheyChoice-approved Resene energy of removal.arenowmoreaccessibletotheirvechildren(theyWaterborne Woodsman, ideal for weatherboards And we tried to reference the area by using timbercan see Daves home from their bedroom window), 17to keep them looking good for longer. See the weatherboards and corrugated iron, as were used in thegrandchildren and many friends.Resene Exterior wood original building.stains colour chart for They grow their own vegetables on-site, with an attractivethe Resene Waterborne Although the house is only a few minutes walk fromgarden including a mix of fruit trees, ornamental plantsWoodsman colour range.the heart of Mt Eden, views of the mountain are framedand vegetables built on the sunny western side of the fromseveralaspectsandthepowerfulpresenceofhouse. This has been created in raised beds with concrete Maungawhau also inuenced the design.edgings to make gardening easier. Traditional painted weatherboards and natural timber provide links to the existing housing, and are combinedThe exterior cedar sunscreens play an with materials that are re-formed like the volcano: Steelimportant role in preventing too much solar portal frames, glass, and caged rocks, Pat says. gain in the summer from the north and west.When I visited MountainView, it was a very cold and blustery winters day, but the solar heating in the house and theIts better this way for me, with my tricky knees, warmth radiating from the concrete oors made it incredibly cosy. For Elaine and Alan, the move from Mission Bay to MtAlan explains. Eden in their semi-retirement has been hugely benecial,Even the clothesline has been adapted for ease of use, and they are totally happy with their new home. and there are areas of grass for the grandchildren to play For years, we lived in older wooden houses, which wereout on. The water tank is tucked away at the back of the often damp and cold, and required lots of caretaking.house, while along the eastern side a channel of water Here, it all so easy to keep clean and, with the solarrunning over river stones, gives a peaceful Zen-like grace heatingandextrainsulation,weseldomhavetouseto the garden. It also has a practical purpose, conditioning electrical heating. Our power bills have been cut in half,the air and dragging a cooling breeze through the house Elaine explains. when the hot northerly blows in the summer.16 |'