This holiday home on the edge of the dunescape at Omaha, just north of Auckland, was redesigned to present a softer architectural face to the coast and reconnect the living spaces with the natural environment.
The idea, explains architect Sam Baxter of Sumich Chaplin Architects, was to use a palette of natural materials to give the existing house — which was built as part of the original subdivision — a facelift to create something that was respectful to the landscape.
“We took the original rooflines of the house and extended parts and relieved others; we wanted to create a lightness on the beachfront by extending the roofs on each end to make it feel like it sat above the dunes.”
The floor-plan remained relatively the same as that of the original house, but the joinery configuration was changed to open the house to the land.
Timber screens — some operable and others fixed — were introduced as a defining element that links the front and rear elevations.
“[They] give the building a sense of occupation. Being that it was a non-permanent residence, it gave the building some life,” Sam says.
The interior, by Charlotte Sumich Interiors, embodies a sense of relaxed luxury underpinned by a palette of marble, limestone, and timber.
Subtle colour accents in the soft furnishings echo the hues of the flowering coastal flora beyond, while playful elements define the bathrooms, where rich blue and teal tones are unmistakably coastal. “The clients wanted to be able to come here, walk in, and relax; it’s a getaway from the city.”
A key part of the brief from the clients was the integration of rooftop solar panels.
This move has allowed the couple to generate enough electricity to power the whole house, including hot water and space heating, charge their electric vehicle, and sell excess power back to their energy retailer.
“We wanted solar firstly because we get quite a few power cuts here, so that gave us resilience. When we walk in here, we go straight to the beach for a swim, come back, and shower outside. We wanted a bach that was connected to nature, connected to the land, and powered by the sun. When you arrive here, you really feel that. It’s an incredibly gratifying feeling,” the clients explain.
Solar power is a move many New Zealanders are making, and, collectively, it’s one that has a significant impact. With rooftop solar, homeowners can generate their own renewable electricity and partially or entirely reduce their reliance on the grid.
According to Gen Less, rooftop solar has the potential to pay itself off after about eight years for a household with average to high electricity use, and deliver free power for the following 20. It can also be financed with low interest ‘green loans’ which are available from most major banks.
When coupled with electric hot water heating, rooftop solar is particularly cost-effective as hot water is one of the largest energy uses in the home.
The installation of a battery as well means energy can be stored, and then used before the sun rises or after it sets, offering greater independence from the grid.
Find out more about rooftop solar at genless.govt.nz
Images: Paul Brandon
