Elemental Forces: Rinnai Linear Collection brings fire to the beach

Written by

05 November 2020

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3 min read

The owners of this property at Mount Maunganui bucked convention when building their holiday house as they wanted a home that, rather than focus on the ocean, offered them a place to retreat to and that encouraged spending quality time with family and friends.

Elemental Forces: Rinnai Linear Collection brings fire to the beach

Situated one row back from the beach, the site has direct water access, although views are only accessible from the second floor, due to there being another property in front.

Typically, your average Kiwi beachside bach has a very orthodox composition

“Large openings that encourage indoor-outdoor flow, rooms and sightlines that are oriented towards the water, the material and colour palettes are light, bright and breezy… it’s, usually, a very formulaic programme”, says architect Mark Carnachan.

"For my clients, who have owned the property for a number of years, the goal was to create a new home that was more ‘beach cabin’ than ‘beach house’ and which, while not entirely turning it’s back on the water, was more focused on creating contemplative spaces.

“With that in mind, rather than place the living area upstairs to incorporate the views, we concentrated on maximising the relationship between the house and the site—choosing to create a series of indoor and outdoor spaces built around the idea of a communal, shared experience that would serve the owners all-year round."

Outdoor spaces, Mark says, celebrate all that summer brings, while the indoor spaces have been designed with warmth and comfort in mind—perfect for those winter weekends when the weather forces you indoors.

“Tonally, we’ve gone with a darker palette than you would normally find in a house near the beach and then, integral to the architectural composition, we have positioned a fireplace centrally within the living area, so that in winter the focus becomes the fireplace, which encourages those in the house to hunker down and stay nice and warm.

“This meant the choice of fireplace was paramount to the success of the scheme. It needed to make an architectural statement without being too overbearing. We found that the Rinnai Linear 800 with FlameTech was the right choice for the space.”

A new offering from Rinnai, the Linear Collection was inspired by our unique landscape, featuring realistic burn media and flame technology that reproduces the lifelike effect of an open fire.

The detailing on the Linear Collection fireplaces is so different to what you usually get on a gas fireplace. I was really taken with the backplate, which really plays up the dance of light and shadow, as well as its architectural presence.

“I’ve worked up a lot of properties with open fires over the years and a big part of their charm in setting the mood comes down to the relationship between the viewer and the intrinsic properties of light and movement and heat," says Mark. "The frameless glass enclosure on the Rinnai Linear fireplace gets as close to that feeling as you can.

“Similarly, the minimal detailing of the firebox and its overall proportions, combined with the attention to detail that has gone into creating a natural flame and ember bed has resulted in a truly stunning experience.”

Mark says the owners are delighted with the finished result - a home that reflects their desire to create intimate experiences for their family and friends - whether that's summers by the sea or winters around the fire.

Find out more about the Linear Collection from Rinnai.

At ArchiPro we recognise and acknowledge the existing, original and ancient connection Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have to the lands and waterways across the Australian continent. We pay our respects to the elders past and present. We commit to working together to build a prosperous and inclusive Australia.