This 1950s beach house is set in a secluded location on Christchurch’s Southshore Spit, with the living area on the first floor overlooking the sand dunes to the east.

The site is very exposed, and part of our brief was to create a sheltered outdoor living area at the first floor so our client could enjoy the view while spending time outdoors. Construction work included replacing the existing weatherboard cladding with new, installing new double-glazed timber windows and doors to most of the house, and the creation of a large steel-framed deck that provides shade for the patio beneath.  

To avoid detracting from the simple but elegant design of the original mid-century house the deck addition has been designed to be visually detached. This was achieved by cladding the steel frames with bandsawn cedar facings that will be left to weather, in contrast to the crisp paint finish on the house. Glass balustrades are used to space the timber from the weatherboard walls. As a gesture to the original design the top edge of the solid timber screen, viewed on approaching the house, is sloped to echo the monopitch roof that remains a feature of the original house.

Our client is a potter, and the interior of her home is filled with bold artwork set off against neutral walls and clear finished timber ceilings and joinery. This inspired our exterior colour scheme, and we sought to create an equally-rich combination of colours and materials externally so the outdoor living area is a natural extension of the internal space.