Building a Dream Home on a Hidden Beach in New Zealand (House Tour)

On the north-eastern side of the Coromandel Peninsula lies Waimataruru, a dream home by Pac Studio and Kristina Pickford Design. Positioned just above the beach and embraced by a regenerating native forest, Waimataruru is the dream home of Kristina Pickford, who oversaw the interior design. The client requested that Pac Studio create a dynamic home in an environment that allowed the owner to engage with the restoration and rehabilitation of the surrounding landscape. Additionally, the site’s typography played an important role in the arrangement of the dream home and, as such, Pac Studio arranged the architectural features to seamlessly cascade down the natural slope of the site.

The house tour shows there is a unifying quality to the home to be admired. Choosing to keep the spaces within the home linked together – differentiated only by floor level – Pac Studio creates a dream home that imbues a feeling of depth thanks to clear sightlines of expansive views outside. Though exposed to the elements, the residence is built to withstand the dryness of summer, heavy rainfall in spring and autumn and the chill of winter. Responding to the varied weather conditions, Pac Studio added a filtered edge to the northern façade as well as covered verandah-like spaces outside to protect occupants from the elements. Cosy interior design moments have also been added to provide a sense of comfort, such as rear pocket views of the forest behind. With an intentional duality, the architect has created a dream home that embraces both the northern beach and the southern forest.

As the home navigates a sloping site, Pac Studio designed each space to give its own individual experience of the landscape – through different colours and materials – to reflect the surrounding natural environment. Though timber is employed as the main element internally and externally, the additional red oxide wall takes centrestage. Lime plaster walls have also been enhanced by sand from the beach, and waxed steel provides a softness and warmth that further enriches the home’s detailing. Designed to be a dream home, Waimataruru provides the space to sit back and appreciate the surrounds.

00:00 - Intro to the Dream Home on a Hidden Beach
00:25 - The Dynamic Brief
01:07 - Arrangement of the Spaces
01:43 - A Wild and Exposed Site
02:05 - Responding to the Varying Conditions
02:57 - A Walkthrough of the Home
03:48 - An Environmentally Reflective Material and Colour Palette
04:42 - Spaces to Entertain
05:00 - A Successful Collaboration
05:22 - The Architects Proud Moments

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Photography by Sam Hartnett.
Architecture by Pac Studio.
Interior Design by Kristina Pickford Design.
Build by Percival Construction.
Filmed and Edited by Cadre.
Production by The Local Project.

The Local Project acknowledges Māori as tangata whenua and Treaty of Waitangi partners in Aotearoa New Zealand. We recognise the importance of Indigenous peoples in the identity of our respective countries and continuing connections to Country and community. We pay our respect to Elders, past and present, and extend that respect to all Indigenous people of these lands.

#DreamHome #HouseTour #Architecture