A tiny shed and 6sqm deck is the perfect bach for this family

Herbst Architects distill everything you need and nothing you don’t into their tiniest, and arguably most ingenious project yet

The land was cheap, which is strange because it’s simply delightful: a long narrow section running down to Little Shoal Bay at Tryphena on the western side of Great Barrier Island in the Hauraki Gulf. There’s a grove of pohutukawa and kanuka above the beach and a sheltered little clearing back towards the road.

One day, the family that owns this land will build a beautiful little bach designed by Nicola and Lance Herbst. It will be carefully placed in the trees and reached by a bridge over the stream and a long timber boardwalk to protect the roots of the trees. There’s a walk through the trees to a sheltered sandy beach.

In the meantime, the family asked the Herbsts to design what the architects think may be their smallest project to date: a utility shed and a 6sqm deck, which the family unfolds and unpacks in the manner of a Swiss army knife when they get there, and then lock up securely while they’re away.


Latest video features

In the Coromandel, a home with a humble profile and a thoughtful design makes the most of a stunning location.

Built with awe-inspiring attention to detail, this Arrowtown home is a fresh interpretation of a familiar Otago rural vernacular.

This sculptural Northland bach is a perfect north arrow on a remote farm high above the sea.

With the sun on its bow and the community at its stern, this is a house in which the elements are always front of mind.

Trending articles

Design News

Sculptural escarpment

The long, low form of the 2025 Coastal Home of the Year appears to emerge from the base of a daunting cliff face at Onetangi

Bathrooms

Asymmetry & artefact

A fruitful collaboration between Plumbline and sculptor Gidon Bing has resulted in an alluring new vessel — an artistic centrepiece that speaks beautifully of New

Home of the Year

Rural craft

Mid-century with a modern interpretation, this family home just outside of Whangarei is a jewel-box on an expansive country site.