© Paul McCredie
- Architects: Parsonson Architects
- Location: Te Horo, New Zealand
- Lead Architects: Gerald Parsonson, Zac Vermuelen (graduate)
- Project Year: 2017
- Photographs: Paul McCredie
- Other Participants: Spencer Holmes Consulting Engineers. Q Build Builders
- Gross Built Area House: 78 m2
- Gross Built Area Shed: 9 m2
© Paul McCredie
Text description provided by the architects. Te Horo Bach: Is a small (87m2) holiday house for a family of four. A retreat, located an hours drive north of Wellington on wild and beautiful dune-lands in a newly developed coastal subdivision with large section sizes. It is a small economically planned fibro and batten clad building that has its design roots partly in the NZ bach tradition, with an explorative use of form, color and material. As part of the subdivision rules, there was a limited color palette available.
© Paul McCredie
Floor Plan
© Paul McCredie
We went beyond this with additional colors added to the sides of the exterior battens, that aren’t apparent when the façade is viewed straight on. The layers of color are intended to coordinate with the wider environment. The plan is bookended by 2 bedrooms with the living space in the middle, opening both east and west allowing access to decks, sun, and shelter from the prevailing north-westerly coastal winds.
© Paul McCredie
To create a subtle intimacy in the in the open plan living space, it is laid out in a pinwheel pattern creating diagonal spatial flows with the ‘L’ shaped window seat and joinery diagonally opposite the kitchen. The section is easy to care with native grasses and plantings and the lawn areas cut in for cricket and parking cars.