McKenzie House

McKenzie House, Havelock North, Hawkes Bay A small house - 80m2- for a musician in the family orchard. The house is built within the rows of organic apple trees, on the mode of a "shed", with its roof sticking up from the foliage. The fully open plan works as a recording and rehearsing studio as well as a living pod for a single man. JURY CITATION: Disarmingly simple in form and execution this very direct interpretation of the bachelor pad proves that architecture is not dictated by budget. No nonsense finishes of plywood and flat steel give vitality to this elegant shed set amid an orchard. The asymmetric roof geometry maximises the useable volume and offers a sculptural dialogue with the neighbouring John Scott House. Within, the roof gives a sense of spaciousness and design that belies its essential modesty. Photos by: Paul McCredie