Peka Peka House Kapiti

This compact, eco-friendly home on Wellington’s Kapiti Coast is made up of three simple boxes, designed in response to views — of Kapiti Island, forestry and farmland — and to climate. Two of the boxes are black-stained cedar, perfectly positioned to maximise views and shelter, and to create a sheltered courtyard. One box is dedicated to living and dining, the other to sleeping. The third box houses the garage and workshop, clad in profiled-polycarbonate — it glows in the dark when lit from within. The North-facing courtyard is protected from coastal winds, yet still enjoys views right through the living room towards the sea. Timber decking surrounds the house and provides a variety of scenarios to seek shelter depending on the prevailing weather conditions. The house promotes eco values with a combination of PV and solar hot water panels as well as above-code insulation. The clients’ long-term goal is to go off-grid. LED lighting throughout the home, and an exposed, insulated concrete slab as a heat store, help reduce power consumption. Natural ventilation picks up the consistent afternoon sea breezes. Photos: Jason Mann.