Site size: 822m2

House size: 174m2

Engineers: HFC Consulting Engineers

Contractor: The House Company LTD

Photographer: Mark Scowen Photography

Interior Design: Christine Robson (client)

Located on the Northern side of the Omaha Harbour inlet, on the small winding coastal road between Matakana and Leigh is Tramcar Bay. After spending many a summer holiday on the site that had 2 small cabins and a shed the clients decided it was time to build a permanent holiday home on the much loved site. The client's brief was to create a family weekend get away. A home built around connecting with each other and the landscape. The simple box form reminds them of why they love spending time at the property. Waking up in bed the view is perfectly framed by the large window openings that are set back within the box form. With each of the main rooms of the home spilling out onto the deck that runs the entire length of the building, connection to the lawn and view is effortless. The two box forms are separated by the entry link space, with the garaging and storage areas to the roadside, and the Living and bedrooms to the seaside. Simple living where shoes are not required, and the busy work life is forgotten upon arrival at the site.

Design Feature & Creative Solutions:

The small unserviced site with constraints of the 2 large protected trees, floodplains, coastal setbacks and the need for an onsite Wastewater treatment plant meant we needed to use every available part of the site for the building, and associated services. Working closely with the numerous engineers we managed to locate the building above the flood level, with lawn space around the home for effluent dispersal fields and stormwater water soak pits. The use of Permeable concrete for the driveway reduced the catchment of rainwater and with no space for traditional water tanks we opted for 10 x Bailey “Under Deck” water tanks that are strapped down to a concrete slab under the subfloor so they don't float away should there be a flood event. The client wanted to experiment with colour, pattern and texture. It began with the textile art she created and it all came together organically over time. Green interior colour to the walls and ceilings creates a calm, effortless evergreen flow from inside to outside.

The built in Dining seating is a real feature of the Living area. Efficient use of the space provided and cosy place to eat with family and friends, with the harsh Western sun dampened by the louvre screen which also provides privacy from the busy road. The elevated deck enjoys views of the tide that slowly comes in and out through the day, and the much converted outdoor fire is the place where most of the cooking through summer months happens and is a great spot to have a drink, unwind and share stories of the adventures of the day.