Local Rock House.

This design creates the New Zealand residence for an expatriate family. It is sited on a steep east facing coastal escarpment just above a pohutukawa fringed white sand beach. Its materiality and composition seeks to create a ‘sense of place in New Zealand’ for this family.

Rock mass forms a bridge to exploit both the sea frontage and limited westerly light. Under this, the living area nestles into the escarpment contrasting an intimate living terrace to the north-east with a grotto-like western courtyard. Bedroom areas are grouped above as finely scaled louvred lookouts at the canopy level of the pohutukawas. The building uses local materiality to become intimately scaled to ‘belong’ in its setting.