TAWHARANUI HOUSE
RTA Studio, Richard Naish
YEAR
2008
LOCATION
New Zealand
CATEGORY
Houses
Text description provided by architect.
Fifty years ago a small enclave of Lockwoods [New Zealand designed all-timber brand of kit-set houses] were built on these beach front sites by our client’s parents and their friends.
As the next generation has married and had children their old Lockwood became too small. In the spirit of the location and the scale of the Lockwood, we created - in its footprint - a new building and mirrored it under a common roof to accommodate the two families.
A third sleep-out building was located to complete the new arrangement of three buildings enclosing a variety of outdoor living spaces that can be used either privately by each family or communally as an extended family.
A south facing water view [southern hemisphere aspect] heightened the challenge of this arrangement – open glass pavilions enable living on the north side – while views can be accessed to the south.
A small stream flows under the house which ties the beach and pohutakawa trees in the southeast of the site to the native bush clad land in the northwest.
