Our client bought this piece of land in rural Auckland as an escape from the city. The existing three-bedroom barn conversion sat well in the landscape, with great views out over the estuary, however it was not an ideal configuration for their needs.

A secondary living space and a self-contained annex for their daughter were requested. Our client was also concerned that the area can get cold in winter, so they wanted to investigate the use of passive design technology.

Our solution was to use a ‘Crib’ module from our Coolhouse range of fully passive homes for the annex, and connect it to the existing structure with a glass-walled ‘living’ pavilion.

The ‘Crib’ is a 45sqm structure that comprises a living room and bedroom, with an interconnecting bathroom and kitchenette. In line with passive design systems, it has its own HRV system, extra insulation, and double-glazing. If it was a stand-alone structure, it would be airtight, too, but the connection to the living pavilion meant that it could not be truly sealed. That aside, the annex still performs extremely well compared to a conventional build.

The connecting living pavilion is a nod to the Johnson Pavilion, and it uses a full-height glass sliding door and louvred aluminium shutter system to moderate the climate inside.

The integrated external 600mm soffit that travels around the perimeter of new structure is at the same height as the internal ceiling, giving a seamless datum between the exterior and interior. It also contains a series of recessed downlights for mood lighting in the evening.

The new addition visually compliments the existing structure, and the client loves the fact you can see the water through the pavilion as you come down the drive.