A Matakana home where architectural mastery meets with the surrounding landscape in perfect harmony
Written by
02 March 2026
•
3 min read
Looking over the village as it slowly wakes, the sun gradually reveals the undulations of the surrounding hills. It’s here in the Village Rise, a newly established enclave overlooking the Matakana township and rolling landscape, where this home design harmonises and integrates with its surrounding environment.
There was no end client guiding the brief, no set design requirements or wish list to tick boxes against.
Instead, Marc Burnett and his team at Aspen Homes acted as both builder and client, using the location and landscape itself as the inspiration.
“You’re surrounded by nature here, so we decided to keep the colour palette more rustic, more in tune with what’s around,” shares Marc. “It’s not a cookie-cutter build. All our projects that we do, we design from scratch based on our client's brief, the contour of the land and how it actually fits within the surroundings.”
Inside, the home reveals itself in stages.
A sculptural steel staircase anchors the foyer, with a timber-clad wall reaching to the floor above. The Taiga wood catches the light and offers a first glimpse of the way space and proportion have been used throughout this home to create different zones. Internal access from the garage links the beautiful, expansive entrance foyer to the discreetly tucked-away lift to the first floor. A luxurious one-bedroom, lounge and bathroom guest wing is also accessed from the entrance foyer or via external entry.
Upstairs, natural light fills the main living room where the ceiling reaches 5.2 metres. Unwind on the bay window seats while taking in the panoramic view and reading a book, curl up by the fire with a wine or cooking with family in the kitchen. Sliding doors lead to a second family room that can be closed off for quieter gatherings.
“This home caters to quite a few different demographics, whether it’s young professional couples, people working from home, families or older generations.”
For Marc, every area of the home has its own special features, but a favourite area is upstairs where the indoors flows seamlessly into the outdoors, an elevated vantage point where you can look out over the village rooftops and distant ranges. It’s a vantage point that captures the essence of Matakana’s appeal: proximity to community, yet surrounded by nature.
As with all custom builds, the journey wasn’t without its challenges. Plans were optimised and tweaked on site. Details reconsidered. Improvements made wherever possible.
“On paper it looks great, but when you’re walking through the site, you might realise something could feel better or function better. So we tweak it.”
Changes also needed to be made to suit the site. “We design from scratch based on the contour of the land and how the home fits within its surroundings. You’re not going to find anything else like it, we don’t duplicate.”
In many ways, this home is a reminder that thoughtful design begins with listening to the land, the environment and the way a space might be used.
For those inspired by homes shaped by landscape and intention, ArchiPro makes it easy to discover the architects, builders and products defining contemporary New Zealand living. Explore completed projects to see how thoughtful material choices and site-responsive design can transform a home, or start a project board to gather ideas for your own build worthy of being called ‘home’.
