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This design creates the New Zealand residence for an expatriate family. It is sited on a steep east facing coastal escarpment just above a pohutukawa fringed white sand beach. Its materiality and composition seeks to create a ‘sense of place in New Zealand’ for this family.

Rock mass forms a bridge to exploit both the sea frontage and limited westerly light. Under this, the living area nestles into the escarpment contrasting an intimate living terrace to the north-east with a grotto-like western courtyard. Bedroom areas are grouped above as finely scaled louvred lookouts at the canopy level of the pohutukawas. The building uses local materiality to become intimately scaled to ‘belong’ in its setting.

Patterson Associates
Auckland

About the
Professional

Patterson Associates Limited is one of New Zealand’s leading architecture practices, founded in 1988 by NZIA Gold Medallist architect Andrew Patterson. In 2004 Davor Popadich and Andrew Mitchell joined the firm as directors, helping shape Patterson Associates into a multi award-winning studio with an international reputation.

Our practice is recognised for our wide range of innovative work in architecture, urban design, and sustainable design. Our expertise is broad, and includes master planning, urban infrastructure design, commercial, mixed-use, civic, multi residential, and single residential homes.

We believe in creating architecture that explores the relationship between people and landscape in order to create a sense of personal belonging. Our approach to each building is a unique collaboration between our clients, their site, and us.