GEOMETRIC SURPRISE

Architect Henri Sayes of Sayes Studio embraces the curve in one of his most recent projects – his own home. Amanda Harkness takes a closer look at the thinking behind the design.

Architects’ own homes are special, revealing as much about what inspires them as their willingness to experiment. In Henri Sayes’ most recent abode, there’s some homage to Aalto’s Maison Louis Carré on the outskirts of Paris (1956), where a sinuous, curved ceiling deftly guides guests from entry to living. Here, too, there is a layering of form with function, which creates both privacy and a place to present art. But it’s Sayes’ appetite for experimentation, seen across a series of moments, both exterior and interior, that stands out. The house form is an asymmetric gable with strong, angular geometry, cranked brick walls and an amplified, black, cedar-clad soffit. In contrast, the interior is much softer, with circular and arched motifs repeating in both plan and section. Split levels and gradients of ceiling…

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Architecture NZ (Digital) - 1 Issue, March-April 2024

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