Beyond the Brief - Brass Monkey Hut

That philosophy proved invaluable when the Backcountry Trust engaged him to design a replacement for the original Brass Monkey bivvy. Made possible through a bequest from passionate tramper Jackie Winters, the project sought to create a lasting refuge in one of New Zealand's most dramatic alpine settings.

For Graeme, the site itself became both the challenge and the guide. The hut's distinctive form is a direct response to the environment in which it sits. With strong winds arriving from both the north and south, reducing wind exposure became a key driver of the design.

"We put the short walls of the hut facing the north and the south so that it would have the least profile to the wind... and we put the long sloping roof on the north to allow the prevailing wind to come up and over the hut," says Graeme.

The horizontal corrugated steel cladding, roll formed by Backcountry Trust partner Dimond Roofing®, reflects the same practical thinking that shaped the building's form. Chosen to improve weathertightness in rugged alpine conditions, it also lends a sense of movement to the building.

"The corrugate runs parallel to the wind reinforcing the speed of the wind and aerodynamics," he says.

Beneath the steel skin lies an equally considered envelope. A ventilated drainage cavity separates the cladding from the building wrap creating a thermal break. The fully sealed weather barrier provides the last line of defence against moisture behind the cladding.  It's a seamless detail the average eye would miss, but it reflects Graeme’s belief that great architecture is often found in the decisions hidden beneath the surface.

Bringing the hut to life required close collaboration between Graeme, lead structural engineer Andrew Clunie of Pocket Structural Engineers and builder Matt Hewat of M Hewat Construction. Together, they developed a prefabricated solution that could be manufactured off-site and assembled on the mountain.

"It was 20 minutes a panel and, you know, six hours later we had the hut up," says Graeme. "Everybody clapped... because everybody knew how critical that was."

A durable, low-maintenance building envelope was essential for a structure located in such a remote and exposed setting. The hut features ColorCote® pre-painted steel, with ZinaCore® specified for the roofing and cladding, while MagnaFlow® was selected for the flashings to provide additional protection across the building's most weather-exposed areas.

For Graeme, steel cladding and roofing offered advantages that extended beyond appearance.

"For the durability and the strength as well, because profiled steel has that inherent strength through profiling," he explains.

By eliminating exposed exterior timber and relying on durable steel systems for cladding, flashings and detailing, the design minimises the need for ongoing maintenance in a location where repairs and upkeep are far from straightforward. For a hut expected to withstand years of exposure to wind, snow and alpine weather, durability was a fundamental part of the design brief.

Opting for the ColorCote colour Scoria, the hut strikes a careful balance between visibility and belonging. For Graeme, the colour was never about helping the building disappear into its surroundings.

"Scoria is a way of doing a colour that's sympathetic to the environment without making it a green in a green environment," he explains.

With its reddish tones reflecting the colours found in surrounding rock formations, lichens and alpine vegetation, the finish allows the hut to stand out when needed without feeling at odds with its setting.

Brass Monkey Hut demonstrates that performance-led design is not defined by scale or budget, but by a deep understanding of place, climate and long-term performance. It requires a willingness to question conventional solutions, learn from the environment itself and prioritise resilience from the outset.

In many ways, Brass Monkey Hut is an unlikely architectural success story. It occupies just 22 square metres and sits high on the Lewis Pass tops, far removed from the architectural spotlight. Delivered through a combination of charitable support, sponsorship, technical expertise and volunteer effort, it has become an award-winning example of how thoughtful design can elevate even the most modest project into something exceptional.