Modern townhouse design

Led by founder Kevin Tian, the initial concept was to create homes that people could genuinely see themselves living in for the long term — not just something that looks good on first impression, but spaces that continue to work well over time. New Zealand’s climate also played a key role in shaping design and material decisions. 

Exterior materials needed to withstand weather exposure while maintaining their appearance, with minimal maintenance requirements. Drawing on long term experience, Field Homes selected Hardie™ fibre cement cladding solutions for their proven performance.

The façade design adopts a considered, layered approach using four Hardie™ cladding profiles: Stria™ Cladding Smooth, Oblique™ Weatherboard, Axon™ Panel Smooth and Linea™ Weatherboard.

“We made sure everything still feels consistent - like keeping the horizontal lines aligned, controlling the joint lines, and getting the proportions between the panels right, so the façade feels layered but still cohesive.  We also carefully considered the colour combinations across the four products, keeping the overall palette clean and consistent”. Says Kevin.

Linea™ Weatherboard was used to reinforce the strong horizontal expression and clean form of the architecture. Its linear profile works beautifully with the expansive surfaces of contemporary homes, allowing them to achieve the distinctive character and charm of weatherboard with all the benefits of low-maintenance Hardie™ fibre cement.

In contrast, Stria™ Cladding Smooth was selected to introduce clear definition and visual rhythm across key elevations. Stria™ Cladding Smooth has distinctive square shaped grooves and can be laid horizontally or vertically, introducing an interesting design feature.

Despite the use of multiple profiles, maintaining cohesion was a central design priority. With a restrained colour palette featuring Dulux® Gore and Resene® Blackwood applied across all homes, allowing texture, scale and shadow to define the architectural expression. Material selection was informed by a whole of lifecycle perspective. 

Field Homes prioritises reliability, durability and low maintenance, recognising that these qualities help reduce long term issues and ownership costs for homeowners. The four cladding products are CodeMark, BRANZ and GreenTag certified, which also provided confidence in both compliance and performance. 

The completed development demonstrates how thoughtful façade design and well resolved material selection can elevate medium density housing. The result is a cohesive, contemporary residential project that balances visual appeal with practicality.