Paying homage to a woolshed that once stood on this elevated and very exposed rural site, the broad gable-roofed forms of this new farmhouse are familiar, modest in scale and pared back to what is functional and essential.
From a distance, the dark-stained building mimics the forms of utilitarian barns and blends into the undulating landscape, sited on level ground above an avocado orchard and close to pockets of native bush in the adjacent gully. Located near the west coast and elevated with panoramic views over the Kaipara Harbour, the new building is often exposed to gale-force winds.
The roughly ‘H’ shaped plan consists of 2 offset gabled modules of matching height, linked by a glazed, flat-roofed entry gallery. An open-plan kitchen, dining room, and sitting ‘pavilion’, anchored by a fireplace at one end and with a lofty barn-like ceiling, embraces 180-degree views over the Kaipara to the north. The second block, containing three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a mud and utility room, nestles further back with lower ceilings and carefully placed recessed openings, providing cosy protection from the elements.
A third module containing a large garage and an implement shed will eventually complete the grouping.
The plan configuration provides external alcoves that offer a choice of sheltered spaces depending on wind direction, both covered and open. A recessed outdoor living porch on the northeast corner, close to the kitchen, and other openings inset into the simple timber-clad forms help provide protection from the south-westerlies and allow stacker doors to be opened frequently for indoor-outdoor flow.
Where exposed to the prevailing winds on the western side, the house was designed to have a low profile with a few carefully placed openings that can be protected with sliding slatted shutters in extreme conditions.
The house is clad entirely in dark-stained Abodo heat-treated vertical shiplap cladding with window joinery and corrugated steel roofing in a similar tone. Internally, the communal spaces are light and airy, with oak flooring and a restrained material and colour palette.
