Makuch Home

There was always a time when roofing business owner Jonathan Makuch would build a home – one which, in his words, would ‘highlight the power of combining design vision with technical roofing expertise.

Architectural Designer Jason Kraayvanger’s brief was thus very client driven, Jonathan having done a lot of planning and design work during his time off during COVID.

The brief
Says Jason, Director and Architectural Designer of New Vision Architecture: “Jonathan approached me with an idea and some sketch drawings and from the outset it was clear he wanted something “out of the norm”.

Jonathan’s new house would replace his existing bungalow on State Highway 3, Kihikihi in an existing residential area. While the exterior form was going to be recognizably different to the surrounding properties, the layout of the house is a straight “L” shape footprint consisting of three bedrooms, two bathrooms, an office and open plan living area. 

Says Jonathan, Managing Director of Waikato-based Makuch Roofing: “I have always had a passion for architecture, impactful, minimalist and brutalist architecture.

“Jason and his colleague Jo had the difficult challenge of turning my sketches and models into plans for something that was not only going to be buildable but liveable. 

“We also built a 3 x 6m scale mock-up of the roof structure to make sure it was going to work.”
Located in Te Awamutu on a state highway, access was the main challenge to the site, a mobile tower crane installed on site for 10 weeks of the build to assist with unloading and installation of materials. Roofing and cladding materials were located straight into position by crane as they were delivered on site. 

Design features
The exterior skin insulation is common overseas however Jonathan says it is relatively new in New Zealand. Having the PIR board over the exterior of the framing eliminates the thermal bridging caused by the timber framing. The twist in the roof is also impressive, Jason Kraayvanger says it was one of the big challenges he faced. “To create it we started the roof pitch at the low end about 3 degrees and at every rafter we increased the pitch slightly until we reached 25 degrees at the high end creating a subtle twist. This same effect was visible from inside as the raking ceilings followed the same curve”.

Innovation 
Jonathan’s focus on innovative roofing practices saw him develop a hybrid warm roof system based on a mix of various other systems.

“We took aspects of warm roof systems we like: for example the liner sheet was installed perpendicular to the rafters which meant we didn’t need to install a row of purlins for the DD400 roofing twist as it goes along the roof from a 3 degree roof to a 25 degree roof. The tray cladding (Heritage Tray) appears to fold down the roof so no barge flashings. We designed small apron flashings instead of a barge so the cladding was hand crimped over at the top of the sheets.  The cladding sheets are also seamed into the windows to give the effect of no flashings”.

Jason says the custom-made flashings have created a seamless finish giving the wall to roof intersection point a clean shape edge. With Jonathan’s focus on creating a home that did not require a lot of heating and cooling, by installing an exterior insulation along with a highly reflective cladding, the home is also energy efficient with PIR board on the roof and walls achieving  high R-values and a heat recovery ventilation system also installed. 

Jonathan project managed the build and helped out on the tools most days with Connor Construction doing the main carpentry work. Connor is a mate of Jonathan’s from working together on building sites over the years and most of the sub-contractors on the build were also mates.

Worth mentioning is Jonathan’s brother Shane Makuch, a metal wall cladding guru working six weeks on the Heritage Tray installation for this unique project. 

Home owner Jonathan has the final word. “My house build blends Brutalist-inspired design with a focus on innovative roofing practices.  As the owner I heavily shaped the design and installation alongside my brother, who masterfully executed the cladding.  We chose Dimond DD400 profile for the roofing and Heritage Tray for the cladding – both chosen for their durability and striking visuals. The coating on all the exterior metal cladding has a pattern and texture through it. The bold roofline twists from 25 to 3 degrees demanding precision, while custom flashings create a seamless finish.”

New Vision Architecture
We offer full involvement throughout the design process, direct contact with the architectural designer for your home, creative and innovative design techniques, high quality design, construction and specification documentation to meet all building consent requirements. New Vision Architecture aspires to design distinctive homes, additions, alterations, accessory buildings and small commercial buildings with street appeal and individuality that fulfil our customers’ preferences.