Pohutukawa House by Julian Guthrie Architecture

Pohutukawa House

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This new home occupies a site in suburban Auckland directly adjoining a popular swimming beach and coastal walkway. The family were based overseas and wanted this home as their NZ holiday home to enjoy their summers connecting with extended family and friends living in Auckland. The site is accessed via a long driveway entrance from the rear side, which enters the site 3 stories above the level of the building platform. The design locates the main entrance and garaging at the top level of the site, minimizing the land required for car use, and creating a dramatic vertical descent from the homes entrance to the living spaces at beach level. Vast Pohutukawa trees overhang the site, creating a dramatic canopy above, which the house opens up to from the interior atrium and the sheltered outdoor courtyard areas. The building form contrasts solid vertical slabs of grey limestone evocative of the adjacent cliff faces, contrasted with long horizontal planes of weathered cedar, silvered like the Pohutukawa tree limbs. Large full height glass walls open the home to the seascape views and capture the filtered light through the trees.

This new home occupies a site in suburban Auckland directly adjoining a popular swimming beach and coastal walkway. Read more

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pohutukawa beachfront coastal timber vertical

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Contemporary Pohutukawa House in Auckland, completed in 2022, features a stunning design that harmonizes with its coastal surroundings, offering breathtaking views and a seamless connection to nature through expansive glass walls and natural materials.

This new home occupies a site in suburban Auckland directly adjoining a popular swimming beach and coastal walkway. The family were based overseas and wanted this home as their NZ holiday home to enjoy their summers connecting with extended family and friends living in Auckland. The site is accessed via a long driveway entrance from the rear side, which enters the site 3 stories above the level of the building platform. The design locates the main entrance and garaging at the top level of the site, minimizing the land required for car use, and creating a dramatic vertical descent from the homes entrance to the living spaces at beach level.

Vast Pohutukawa trees overhang the site, creating a dramatic canopy above, which the house opens up to from the interior atrium and the sheltered outdoor courtyard areas. The building form contrasts solid vertical slabs of grey limestone evocative of the adjacent cliff faces, contrasted with long horizontal planes of weathered cedar, silvered like the Pohutukawa tree limbs. Large full height glass walls open the home to the seascape views and capture the filtered light through the trees.

Completed: 2022
Building style: Contemporary

4000h 9m

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Professional Reviews

1 / 5

“We have been clients of Julian Guthrie for approximately 20 years, within which period of time he has designed both renovations and new homes for us. The briefs have all been very different (including a new home, new beach house, and major renovation). Without exception, the results have all exceeded our expectations. Throughout the foregoing projects, Julian has also played an integral role in the management of planning requirements, and in the case of our home in Herne Bay, that process involved the complexity of obtaining consents to incorporate a character villa with additions that complemented the original home. His advice through that process, in addition to the design undertaken by him, was invaluable. In terms of that design work, we have no reservation in recommending Julian. He is an excellent communicator, and very skilled at translating a brief from a husband and wife (who do no always agree) into an outcome with which we have both been very happy. Our homes are personal to us, but undoubtedly a testament to Julian’s skills. Julian was also retained by my law firm to re-design and refit our offices. The offices are located in a challenging heritage building in the central business district. He had to take on board a number of individuals’ and personalities’ requirements in the brief. The end product, achieved in a very short duration, on budget, is outstanding. His relationship with the contractors on site was very good, all issues being resolved between them, with little input from us as clients in that process. That was of enormous value to us as busy professionals. We therefore have no hesitation in recommending Julian Guthrie and his team.”

Stephen Langton