Pepe Road House

Pepe Road House is a contemporary extension to an existing home in Tairua that demonstrates how a carefully considered intervention can fundamentally transform the way a house is experienced. The brief was to open the home to the east, capturing expansive views across the estuary towards Paku Hill while introducing a generous new living space for family gatherings and visiting guests. Rather than competing with the existing house, the new first-floor addition takes cues from its familiar gable form, reinterpreting it through a more refined and contemporary architectural language. Wrapped in durable aluminium cladding and complemented by warm timber detailing, the addition has been designed to withstand the coastal environment while creating a calm and inviting interior. High raking ceilings, north-facing highlight windows and large sliding doors fill the space with natural light, strengthening the connection to the surrounding landscape and framing the ever-changing outlook beyond. The project demonstrates how a modest addition can have a profound impact on both the function and character of an existing home. By carefully balancing contemporary expression with respect for the original dwelling, the result is an extension that feels both distinctive and entirely at home within its coastal setting.