Project: Reef House
Architects: Strachan Group Architects
Creative Director: Dave Strachan
Design Director: Hana Scott
Location: Leigh, New Zealand
Year 2020
Photo Credits: Simon Devitt
Built by Bunting Brothers Construction
Landscaping by SGA
Text by Strachan Group Architects
NZIA Local Award Winner – 2020
The Reef House brief was for a family holiday home for a Mum, her three adult sons and their eventual families. The site has extensive sea views from the northeast to the south and overlooks the rocky beach break of Daniels Reef. The outlook was to hero Little Barrier Island and to provide scope to display carefully curated artworks. The client desired a selection of interesting textures to complement the art and environment. Spaces designed needed to be able to cater for a myriad of coastal activities; fishing, cooking, surfing, parking for cars and boats, a fish sink and a smoke house. A guest suite, spa pool and a variety of outdoor spaces were also requested, all to fit a relatively small footprint.
The plan is a split cruciform providing axial views and cross ventilation in both directions. In section, breaking the form into a twin roof pavilion allows for good floor to floor heights and volume shifts in the upper floor spaces. The main upper floor plates are offset and arranged to direct views out to the sea from the entrance and living areas. The kitchen extrudes to the north on to layered and screened outdoor living spaces.
Perhaps unusually, SGA was also called on to mentor and guide the clients two builder sons through their first building project since starting their own company, Bunting Brothers Construction.
The project is a testament to the strength of collaboration between client, architect, landscape architect and builder and good reason for the client (Mum) to be happy and proud.
