Patterson Associates Limited

Local Rock House

Local Rock House
© Simon Devitt

LOCAL ROCK HOUSE

Patterson Associates

PROJECT MANAGER
Peter Scott

INTERIOR
Jenny Marshal

PHOTOGRAPHS
Simon Devitt

BUILDER
Davidson Construction Ltd

DESIGN DIRECTOR
Andrew Patterson

LANDSCAPE
Suzanne Turley

ENGINEER
Holmes Consulting Ltd

TEAM
Davor Popadich, Shane Taylor, Andrew Patterson

LOCATION
Auckland, New Zealandl

CATEGORY
Houses

AREA
395.0 sqm

PROJECT YEAR
2010

Text description provided by architect.

Patterson Associates have created this Summer residence on Waiheke Island. A place famous for fine vineyards with illustrious names such as Cable Bay, ManOWar and Passage Rock.

Local Rock House
© Simon Devitt
Local Rock House
© Simon Devitt

This home is located on a steep coastal escarpment above a tree fringed white sand beach on its northern coast.

The vineyards are there as a result of Waiheke’s temperate coastal climate and some rare geology seams of pyrite rock criss cross the island like veins.

Local Rock House
© Simon Devitt
Local Rock House
© Simon Devitt

Its this geology that give the grapes, primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec, their distinctive Waiheke taste.

The home uses this same local pyrite strata as a building material to create a sense of place in Architecture.

The pyrite is a dense, colourful hard stone which can be stacked, etched and layered into earthy walls and textures. The rock mass of the home is like a bridge, open both sides to exploit both the beach frontage and the afternoon sun.

Local Rock House
© Simon Devitt
Local Rock House
© Simon Devitt

Under this, its main living area nestles safely into the escarpment between a spacious easterly ocean-front pool terrace and a grotto-like western courtyard to the west. The owners often use this grotto as an outdoor movie theatre.

Bedroom suites are grouped above as finely scaled, romantic and louvred lookouts in the canopy line of the trees lining the clear waters of the beach. Behind the grotto is an intimate bunkroom.

Local Rock House
© Simon Devitt
Local Rock House
© Simon Devitt

The home has been designed to be sustainably ‘green’ and uses an innovative air heating system to provide an efficient, even temperature gradient right through all levels, as well as incorporating an onsite waste treatment station and a reticulated water system with a large rain storage facility.


Local Rock House
Ground Floor Plan
Local Rock House
First Floor Plan
Local Rock House
Entry Level Plan
Local Rock House
Second Floor Plan
Local Rock House
Site Plan


Local Rock House
East Elevation
Local Rock House
South Elevation
Local Rock House
West Elevation
Local Rock House
North Elevation

Patterson Associates Limited
T +64 9 3034004
Patterson Associates Limited
22 Garfield Street, Parnell, Auckland 1052, New Zealand