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John McNamara grew up in Auckland. He attended Sacred Heart College before going on to study Architecture at the University of Auckland. In 2017, John moved with his wife Nikki to Hawkes Bay where they created modhouse.
Hawkes Bay is a relative idyllic spot. Six hours south of Auckland and four hours north of Wellington keeps it secluded. With a agricultural backdrop, the coastal region is a contrast to the hustle and bustle of a big city.
modhouse
John and Nikki decided to put all their energy and attention in the home they’ve created. John gave up the idea of an office in Auckland and saved substantial city rent in the process. Now, rather than having an empty and sterile show home in a remote location, they have their own comfortable home, that’s already drawn some attention. And their home is the base of their new venture – a prefabricated sustainable and architecturally designed house called modhouse.
Award Winning
John acknowledges winning the local Landmark Trust Award as contributing to attracting around 40 people coming to view modhouse during a recent open day.
Remote but Connected
As an architect these days, “…you can be based anywhere”, says John. He still has some clients and projects in Auckland and can continue to work on these remotely.
Design Inspiration
John gained a broad range of experience at some large firms early in his career. He did time at Warren and Mahoney and Ignite Architects where he predominantly worked on large scale and commercial project. He even had the opportunity to design resorts in Fiji.
As well as his day job as an architect, John and Nikki spent time renovating various houses. One of these was a distinctive 1950s Glendowie house designed by Mark Brown & Fairhead. Exposed timber beams were a feature of this Californian style house and it’s a feature that stuck with John. John explained that the beams he’s designed into the modhouse are almost identical to Mark Brown & Fairhead’s work half a century prior.
Modular Offsite Construction
The concept of the modhouse is a design that can be scaled. The standard-sized segments can then be manufactured off-site and transported to the building location. This pre-fabrication method of both design and construction is increasingly touted as a solution to bring better, more affordable houses, to more people and in more location.
But it’s not a race to the bottom in terms of price. John didn’t set out to try and created the most affordable (aka ‘the cheapest’) house possible. Nor is the modhouse extravagant.
Comfort and Efficiency
I questioned John about his choice of non-thermally broken window joinery. I strongly recommend thermal breaks, or even moving to a less conductive window joinery material such as uPVC or timber.
With increased insulation and less thermal bridging, the simplicity of the modhouse building envelope could be built as a super-efficient home with only some minor tweaks. And then perhaps it would need the log burner.
Aesthetic Appeal
The result of John and Nikki’s work has definitely sparked interest. Check out more images on their Facebook and Instagram pages and keep an eye out for the next open home.
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