Beachfront perfection in a Bay of Plenty family home

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11 July 2022

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3 min read

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Apparent simplicity belies the attention to detail and top-end craftsmanship in this Papamoa Beach home built among the sand dunes.
On the sand at Papamoa Beach is this three-bedroom family home by Brendon Gordon of Brendon Gordon Architects. The top level is the parents’ retreat that includes a lounge, two dressing rooms and an en suite with a view of the water.
The entrance from the street side utilises the concept of solid and void, and the lighting leads the eye through. “We decided to have a sense of arrival so that’s why it’s a full-height pivoted door,” says Brendon.
The view from the kitchen through the highly engineered Vitrocsa glazing, with fine transoms and hidden tracks. The kitchen island has a large slab of marble. “It’s like a sculpture.”
Brendon didn’t want a deck structure obstructing the view from inside so the glazing slides away and the cantilevered lounge area effectively becomes the outdoor living space.
The house has a lot of automation says Brendon, including for heating, lighting and security. The lighting plan was carefully considered, to work with the architecture and stay as streamlined as possible.
The client was keen on a reductionist approach. “There’s a lot to be said for simplicity,” says Brendon. “The house is very architectural. It’s very strict, it's very disciplined. And that runs right through every detail.”
“We used the stairs winding up and around as a light well for the house,” says Brendon.
For all the architectural precision, it’s a fun and comfortable home for a young family. “It functions really well,” says Brendon. There are multiple decks, outdoor showers and a laundry window especially for throwing in wet togs and towels.
With shops and cafes on the street side, the house acts as a bridge between the urban and the coastal. The boardwalk access is only for residents of the development.