The house is located on the tidal beach front overlooking Huruhi Bay, Waiheke Island. The site faces into the southwest wind, brutal and at times aggressive when combined with king tides. Two huge Pohutakawa trees blend to make one, sit at the back west side of the
house and can be seen from both ends of the bay. Old batches in the bay have been replaced or up graded over the the past fifty years with the evolution of Waiheke
Island. The once well-known iconic little mustard house on this small stretch of The Esplande has succumbed and
been replaced. 

The design of the new house needed to respond to the marine edge on-one side and the protection of the Pohutakawa trees and the sheltered garden on the other side. In addition, the social context of The Esplanade required an adaptable response to address the need for privacy and the opportunity to engage with the neighbourhood.

It was decided to locate the new house on the original footprint of the batch reaching across the site, thus maximising the view and protecting the back garden. The house is lifted 800mm to mitigate the effect of any king
tide in the future.

A lantern over the large open plan living area brings in the daylight and provides an intimate connection with the Pohutakawa trees.

The exterior of the house sits comfortably with the Pohutakawa trees using a dark pallet of random width shiplap wall cladding and a low-lying hovering form. Exterior cladding materials have been chosen for their robustness, durability, and aesthetic appeal. SIP (Structurally Insulated Panels) are used for building efficiency and to increase the structural and thermal performance. Large scale operable screens glides across the front of the house providing privacy, shelter, and adaptable functionality. Floating concrete steps further emphasise the horizontal line and lightness of connecting to the land. They provide both access to the house and
a place to linger.

Interior materials have been chosen for their honesty and natural beauty, paring away the unnecessary. Birch plywood walls finished in Oslo oil on the east and west walls and contrasting white painted north and south walls. Large format limestone tiles define the floor surface throughout the house and reach out onto an expansive exterior patio and smaller deck on the front emphasising the sense of space. Tiles have also been used in the bathrooms on the walls and floors. Ceilings throughout are finished in white painted cedar paneling for spatial continuity.

A lantern over the large open plan living area brings in the daylight and provides an intimate connection with the Pohutakawa trees