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The intention was to renovate an existing holiday home for a family on a dramatic site in Kuaotunu. The bach had served the family well for many years and was imbued with family memories. It was too valuable as a family artefact to demolish.

The holiday experience is reinforced by the separate pavilions being disconnected from the main living room, this results in a camping experience of going from 'tent to tent'. The social organisation of the plan is relaxed and holiday-like. There is no front entry. Experiences of everyday rituals are connected to the outside and a contrast from urban living. The en-suite opens to the outside, allowing the experience of showering and bathing in nature.

Materials were chosen to reflect the relaxed coastal colours and for their lack of maintenance - the zinc roof designed to imitate notional fish scales.

The existing bach is now opened to the sun and view. The sliding glass walls are organised to dissolve the barrier between inside and outside. Shutters allow the house to be closed up while the owners are not in residence.

Crosson Architects
Auckland

About the
Professional

Crosson Architects is an Auckland based architectural practice with an exceptional portfolio of work. Past projects include residential, commercial, institutional, masterplanning and urban design developments. Ken Crosson and his team have won numerous architectural awards locally and internationally with work being regularly published here and around the world.

Our commitment to providing a superior service to our clients is extended with membership in Designgroup New Zealand, enabling larger scale projects to be undertaken, drawing on a range of resources and expertise from partnering practices. We strive for the highest standards of client service, design and documentation. At the completion of each project, the aim is to have achieved a building that is beyond the client's expectations. We believe good design will produce sustainable, functional and dramatic spaces and buildings that have an enduring quality over time.

Each project is analysed for its special requirements and opportunities: the end result being not a preconceived idea, but a combination of the client's requirements and desires, a response to the site and the budget. Critical consideration is given to the project's specific environmental and historical context, and to the appropriate use of materials and construction methods.

At the heart of the process is the collaboration between the client and the architect. At Crosson Architects we create – and the process is vigorous and robust, rich and rewarding. Amongst other elements, we consider the physical, psychological and spiritual – achieving an outcome that is unique and life-enhancing.

We would love to offer you the opportunity to realise your dream with Ken and the team at Crosson Architects.