Coastal challenges

Protection from the elements

The local microclimate, which changes significantly through the seasons, needs to be considered when you buy or build a coastal home. In mid-winter, what appears to be a sheltered, east-facing site looking over the ocean can have a 20-knot sea breeze pumping in from the east on hot summer afternoons, which can make the seaward side unusable.

Grant recommends quality outdoor areas that open out on both sides of the living space for protection depending on the direction of the wind. Good glazing in the living room means that you can enjoy the view from the courtyard, and shade in your outdoor spaces is also essential.

Climate change challenges

With weather events becoming more extreme and increasing coastal inundation, the simple answer is to not build in potentially affected areas. If you do, Grant suggests choosing an elevated part of the site, if possible, and to oversize gutters and downpipes to cope with increasing rainfall.

A tropical cyclone has strong winds that can deliver heavy rain deep into claddings and the building structure, so well-thought-out flashings and cladding cavity systems are a must.

“Additionally, consider the location of a buried water tank. In mid-summer, an empty tank may not fill up as fast as the ground water rising around it and, if the rainfall is torrential, it may pop out of the ground, so don’t put it under a low deck!”

Protecting our environment

The coast is a precious and finite environment that should be celebrated and protected, so ensure silt from earthworks or chemical runoff from exposed aggregate driveway construction doesn’t run into waterways or into the sea. It’s also important to ensure septic tank systems are well maintained.

If your site has magnificent pohutukawas or cabbage trees, don’t cut them down; instead, build around them with the advice of an arborist to ensure root systems are protected.

Grant believes that we need to design for coastal zones with a sensitive use of contextual materials, colours and textures. “Deep eaves can make a house more comfortable to live in during summer, while also ensuring it visually recedes into the wider landscape – especially when seen from a distance.”

Relaxed living

Even if a coastal home is not a bach or a holiday retreat, it’s important to make it feel more relaxed, with a layout that reflects the beachy lifestyle.

“Urban homes are very structured in their planning to suit cultural protocols, procedure and security. With coastal homes, the front door is often unused and neighbours and friends can wander up from the beach looking for a yarn, a feed or a drink,” Grant explains.

“While spatial legibility is still important, some of my most successful designs are very relaxed in their plan; for example, the use of linked sprawling pavilions are reminiscent of a few tents pitched around a campsite.”

This unpretentious approach also creates varied outdoor spaces and wind shelters, and reduces the visual scale of the building by breaking it up. Finally, Grant says, don’t forget space for the boat!

Words by ArchiPro editor Amelia Melbourne-Hayward.