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The revolution in home design is here

There’s a revolution brewing in home design, and it’s one which will come to fruition in Auckland on April 13 of this year, when James Hardies and Latitude Homes reveal the first Smarter Small Home in New Zealand.

The spot prizes and special draws for visitors to the Papakura site will only add to what is the biggest revolution in home building in recent years – a home which is truly unique. It’s a home which meets the requirements of the modern world, and which provides homeowners with something which meets every requirement; functionality, ecological responsibility, financial soundness, longevity, and, perhaps most importantly, stylishness in a world of houses which, until now, seem cast from the same mould.

James Hardie have not only broken that mould – they have shattered it - through the collaboration with design firm Creative Arch they have produced a home which, as Latitude Homes’ Marc Hunter says, offers the best of all worlds.
And Marc should know. After 15 years as managing director for one of the largest worldwide freight companies, he took his international training to the building industry as general manager of one of the largest housing supply companies in the industry. He then created his own housing company, drawing on his management, administration and accountancy skills to create a company which today builds homes throughout New Zealand.

Latitude Homes in April will unveil the Smarter Small Home to New Zealand, and with partner James Hardie, Marc says it’s truly a revolution in home design and construction.

The innovative design reduces waste, cuts down on labour costs in preparation of material, and makes best use of natural light and ambient heat to reduce energy costs.

“The build time is reduced because the home is designed around standard material sizings, but that doesn’t mean you get a ‘house out of a box’,” Marc says. “The Smarter Small Home is something new, and everyone we have had on site – even while we are still building it – has said it has the ‘wow’ factor that makes it something very special.”

The home is ideal for small sections; a huge attraction in today’s building environment, and offers a raft of benefits that are simply not possible with a conventional build.

The use of James Hardies building products throughout means not only the durability and peace of mind performance, but any colour can be used on the exterior without any worries about warping or fading, the use of James Hardies’s ScyonSecura flooring means no squeaks, HardieVillaboard provides high impact and performance in moisture resistance in wet areas, and HardieRawform and ScyonStria claddings provide a feature wall.

Even Marc was surprised at one of the additional benefits of using James Hardie building products:

Full lengths of ScyonStria cladding were used to clad the exterior of the house, and because they are 4.2m in length, cladding could be completed in half the time it takes with conventional building products
That means not only a quicker build time, but better security for the internal features, and also meant subcontractors were on site finishing the work weeks ahead of a standard build.

“There are so many features in this home, it’s hard to summarise them all,” Marc says, “but essentially it offers open living areas, phenomenal use of storage space, fabulous use of ambient light and the design creates the feel of a far larger living space.

“It’s called the Smarter Small Home for a reason – it is simply smarter.”
See for yourself why Latitude Homes and James Hardie are so excited to bring the home building revolution to Auckland this year. The grand opening will be on April 13, but for a preview of what is coming to the New Zealand home scene, visit the website at www.smartersmallhome.co.nz

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