A new dwelling that is designed as a home not a Bach in Pakiri for a client who lived in Auckland. The client has a busy life in Auckland and this house was to be a retreat to escape to in a beautiful part of the country. The brief was for a modern take on a barn that made the most of the views over the sea to Little Barrier Island (North Eastern aspect). The outlook to the sea is 180 degrees and being situated at the top of the hill also allowed for stunning sights back over native bush to the Southern and Western aspect.

The dwelling sits at the highest point of the rolling hills around. This platform has been embraced by spreading the house along the site, opening it up to be both drenched in sun as well as a prime seat to watch the wild weather roll in from the ocean. Given the size of the site each space within has been graced with both views, sun and connection to nature.

Design Features and Creative Solutions

The site was spoiled for beautiful and varied views with ocean on the Eastern and Northern aspects and lush native bush on the Western and Southern sides. The natural slope of the site has been embraced with gently rolling lawns that seek to take nothing away for the natural scenery. Being at the top of the hill affords the dwelling with a lot of privacy despite the open nature of both site and home.

The home took the standard gable pitched roof, rectangular shaped barn and splayed it out along the site with a series of smaller forms that retain the overall simplistic form. This allowed each space to make the most of the preferred views with a single depth design. Separating the roof form and floor plate helped site the dwelling upon the hill with a more appropriate scale. The proportions were further controlled by removing the garage gable from the main house and rotating it and also giving additional height to the main bedroom gable. The large amount of glazing on the Northern side and limited glazing on East, West and Southern faces helps with the solar gains on the concrete mass. The single depth spaces allow for cross ventilation for cooling.

We used a material pallet of dark stained timber, dark profiled metal and a lighter polished concrete floor. The materials were selected so they can either weather naturally or be maintained depending on preference and desired look. They were a modern interpretation of the barn like structure that had been asked for in the brief.

Project Team Credits  

Architecture: Nicholas Mann (AO Architecture Ltd.)

Engineer: Bud Design Ltd.

Builder: R & B Builders Ltd.

Photographer: Stephen Entwisle