Positioned to capture the sun and sweeping views, the balcony of this renovated home, constructed from Prolam Glulam Beams and Posts, has been designed to be enjoyed all year round.

The owners of this home in Upper Hutt, had always dreamed of extending their home to incorporate outdoor living areas for entertaining family and friends that made the most of their views of the nearby Wi Tako Ngatata Scenic Reserve. However, their north-west facing hilltop block is exposed and often windy, which meant these additions not only had to be structurally strong, but provide shelter from the elements as well. 

Abode Architecture’s Nate McGimpsey worked with Certa Engineering and Prolam, to devise a structural timber solution that would rise to the challenge. 

The result is an extension that delivers outdoor living areas on both the upper and lower levels of the home that are expansive, light and effortlessly connected to the home’s interior spaces and the external environment. 

Prolam Visual PL12 Glulam Beams and Posts were key to achieving this vision. Five large 300 x 300 PL12 H5 Posts – two measuring 7.2 metres and three 7.8 metres – were installed and painted white to complement the home’s aesthetic. In addition, PL12 Beams, oiled to retain their natural timber finish, span the top of the clear-roofed upper-level balcony, creating a clean structure without intrusive cross-bracing that would have obstructed the light and the views. 

The glulam timber beams and posts were chosen for their combination of exceptional load bearing and bracing capacity, straightness, and glulam’s proven durability in exposed conditions. 

And, as Nate explains, the design team had confidence in their selections thanks to the technical advice and support from the Prolam team, and the Prolam Specifier, which simplified the design calculations and product specification process. 

“The Prolam Specifier made designing with glulam beams and posts so much easier, and the back up and support from the Prolam team was great. It gave us confidence the products would do exactly what we needed.”

And they have. The new outdoor areas perform exactly as designed, providing light, bright but sheltered spaces for everyday living and entertaining – exactly what the home’s owners wanted.   

“We talked to the Prolam team early on, and they were super helpful, and the Prolam Specifier and the support from the team across the whole project was great. Their knowledge of the product and solution-focused approach helped us get the result we wanted.”

-    Nate McGimpsey, Architectural Designer, Abode Architecture