Trends New Zealand Volume 34 No 3 | Page 16

Above: Above the living area, a concrete bridge with steel balustrades connects the parents’ and children’s wings. Each of the three two-level loft- style bedrooms are designed to accommodate two children. Entry to the rooms is through a galvanised steel door on a sliding tracking sy stem, while plywood panels between the doors have a colour wash in the children’s favourite colours. search | save | share at But while tough materials such as these would stand up to the rigours of six active children, there was also potential for the space to be very noisy. Alt resolved this by designing a custom ceiling of black painted perforated steel with acoustic panels above. A similar ceiling design is seen in the indoor pool room – another potentially noisy part of the home – where sound is dampened by acoustic panels covered with perforated corrugated aluminium. Another perforated aluminium ceiling in the kitchen fully conceals the lighting and the venting system above the cooktop. Durable materials are also prominent in the children’s bedrooms. Each of the three rooms houses two of the children, with the space consisting of a lower level and a loft- like space. The children can make their own choice of whether beds are on the lower or upper level. They’ve also chosen their favourite colour wash for the plywood panel walls of the closet in each room – seen also on the hallway side – while flooring in the rooms