A light-filled home pays homage to the landscape, taking in spectacular views to Ocean Beach.
Written by
29 April 2024
•
4 min read
The idea of the house is similar to a bird; it's on the edge of a cliff with its wings out. It's about to take off. That's how we wanted the house to feel.
The architect, Daniel Marshall, wanted the entryway to be as restrained and efficient as possible. The home's connection to Maori cultural aesthetics is seen through the large welcoming entrance, designed similarly to a Marae. The entire home is designed on a single level, and due to the hill's natural slope, the living area extends outwards and is suspended across the hill, enhancing the dramatic sense of the space. Daniel has cleverly designed the level to cantilever across the landscape, invisibly supported to give the illusion of suspension above the ground below. Given the location, the architectural team couldn't attend the site, relying instead on a great build partner and engineer to effect their vision. This relationship was crucial to the success of this project.
With their plan of living between a heritage apartment in central Auckland and Hawke's Bay, the homeowners' brief requested that the architecture resonate with the landscape and take in the magnificent views of Ocean Beach below. The home has two bedrooms and a music room that could double as a third bedroom or study. Sitting in harmony with the landscape, this effortless and elegant home offers exceptional views of Ocean Beach below. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the living area take advantage of every angle the views afford.
A simple pebble collected from the beach inspired the home's palette, a sandstone and quartz fragment offering the base shades. The board-formed precast concrete reflected the quartz shade, while the western red cedar on the exterior was treated with oil to replicate the concrete shade. The owners initially sought elements for the home's design that wouldn’t work in a beach environment; Daniel recalls, "They were talking about shutters and sliding panels; these are not practical for the beach as the salt air would destroy them." The architect also talked through the environmental factors of the site; as it's atop a hill, the wind direction can substantially impact the location of the entranceway and doors. The house was located to make the most of the views while protecting the exposed areas from the prevailing winds.
Daniel had a unique perspective on the location, having grown up in Hawkes Bay. However, this was the first project he worked on in this area. "As a kid, I would go out to Ocean Beach all the time, so to revisit a landscape I knew so well was unique," Daniel recalls.
The Havelock North and Hawkes Bay area is imbued with designs from architect John Scott, who influenced Daniel's design vision for this project. "I kept in mind John's strategies for placemaking, and this build was a sort of homage to his work."
Daniel explains that while the home has a very simple rectangular form, many different experiences can be had just by moving through the spaces. Each space is defined in its own way: the gallery with its stunning artwork, the private bedrooms facing the beach, and the two decks, one facing the sea and the other the landscape and tree, the ideal spot to take in the sunset.
The entrance to the home has a welcoming feel, taking you through to the open-plan layout flowing onto the deck. While these areas are open, private spaces in the home offer the homeowners and their guests zones to be together or private as desired. Arriving through the hallway to the lounge, the feeling of being suspended over the cliff has been expertly designed with the help of the engineering team of Aaron Kajiser & Karnan Shanmugasundam of Kotahi Studio. A concrete floor was created running along the underside of the space, supported by layered timber beams on either side of the room. This gives the illusion that the living room is floating above the hillside.
For such a simple structure, the effect of the placement on the site and the elegant simplicity of the home is breathtaking. Enhanced by the beauty of the surrounding landscape and beach below, the home has an essence of warmth and vitality. The sense of a bird taking flight is so clear from the form of this project, a resounding success for Daniel Marshall Architects in every respect.
Contact Daniel Marshall Architects for your next project.
