The 1953 house that architect Philip Sherwood King designed for himself on the banks of the Waikato River in Hamilton, New Zealand deserves wider recognition, not just because of its functional elegance and simplicity but also because of the innovative methods used in its construction. A very early Waikato example of modernist design, using glass curtain walls, heated concrete floor pad and integrated electronics, the house was also notable for the sequence in which it was built -- from the roof down!

This 52-page e-book contains a detailed account of the house and its construction, numerous photographs and line drawings, and a list of King's residential architectural projects, as well as brief biographical notes on the architect.

Philip King (1921-2003) is best known for the MIRINZ laboratory at Ruakura and the Wool Research lab at Lincoln, but his smaller-scale work is no less significant. Essential reading for anyone interested in Hamilton's modernist architecture.