FRAMED BY PASTURE AND SEA
Located in Mangawhai, this home occupies an expansive rural site, positioned to capture sweeping views across green pasture to the distant Hen and Chicken Islands.
Words Studio John Irving | Photos Simon Wilson
While the view to the ocean is stunning, it is secondary to the rolling farmland in the foreground, creating a setting that feels both connected to the coast and deeply grounded in its rural context. The clients were drawn to this duality and sought a home that embraced the openness of the site while offering a sense of retreat and calm.
Arrival to the house is intentionally understated. A meandering driveway moves through native planting, concealing the building and heightening the experience of discovery, as the architecture is revealed gradually. Upon entering, the view aligns directly on axis as the house opens dramatically, guiding occupants through a central courtyard and into the main open living pavilion, with the horizontal roof framing the expansive outlook.
The courtyard acts as a pivot point around which three pavilions spiral, connected by glazed links. This arrangement breaks the overall mass into smaller forms while allowing landscape and natural light to enter each area of the home. The separation of volumes creates a sense of privacy and calm, while maintaining a strong visual connection between spaces and to the surrounding greenery.
The kitchen reflects the clients’ love of cooking and entertaining and is designed as a central social space. A distinctive double island arrangement wraps around the corner of the room, allowing cooking to remain connected to both the views and adjacent living spaces.
The main bedroom suite is positioned to take full advantage of the expansive outlook at the front of the site. Due to the rural nature of The site and minimal privacy constraints allow the ensuite to be designed as an open, light-filled space that reinforces the clients’ close relationship with the landscape, with full-height glazing on most of the walls. Throughout the house, spaces are oriented to capture framed views, ensuring that each room offers a distinct and equally compelling relationship to the site.
Material selection responds directly to the site and environment. Externally, cedar cladding has weathered naturally to a soft, driftwood grey tone, allowing the building to sit comfortably within the landscape. Internally, the same cedar is used in a warmer finish, providing material continuity while creating a more intimate interior atmosphere.
A long, simple cantilevered roof establishes a clear architectural language and provides generous covered outdoor living. The pavilion roofs also accommodate solar panels to support renewable energy generation.
Set amongst lush native planting, the house promotes wellbeing through its strong connection to nature, light, and landscape, offering a calm and enduring response to its Mangawhai context.
