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Sandy Bay House

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This brief for this bach was to provide a total contrast to the owners' city home. Read more
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A compact holiday home designed to harmonize with its natural surroundings, featuring separate cabin spaces under a single pitched roof and a warm palette of natural timber cladding, creating an inviting retreat amidst native bush and a mature Puriri tree.

This brief for this bach was to provide a total contrast to the owners' city home. They wished to have a very simple holiday home that engaged with the natural setting.

The scale of the house is deliberately compact at 100m2 internal area, for both reasons of economy and for the spatial quality such scale imparts. The house was very carefully sited to fit between stands of native bush and a north facing lawn area featuring a mature Puriri tree.
The house is split into separate cabin spaces beneath a single pitched roof form. The living space, sleeping spaces and utilities are separated by a breezeway stairwell, requiring an external transition between each room.

The roof form creates an intimate low volume to the seating area. As the land slopes down, the roof rises to accommodate a two level bedroom tower hugging the tree canopy.
The material palette is natural timber cladding to all exterior and interior surfaces, punctuated by blocks of bright colour.

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Professional Reviews

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“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

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