Waihi Beach

This Waihi Beach house embraces site and context to create a tranquil coastal retreat in the NZ bach tradition.

Located in a quiet seaside suburb of established baches, one block back from the premium Shaw Road beach front dwellings, the client’s brief was to design a three-bedroom beach house for her sister and brother-in-law, their grown-up families, and grandchildren.

Architect Geoff Lentz was delighted to follow the client’s suggestion that all the existing pōhutukawa trees on the site be retained.  This idea was a key driver throughout the design process.

A simple, single-storey, ‘lean-to’ construction form continues the kiwi bach vernacular of the surrounding neighbourhood, with the architecture zig-zagging under the pōhutukawa canopy.  The focal point of the house is the northern deck and the opportunity for relaxed outdoor living under the trees.

While a two-storey design could have maximised potential views, this was ruled out on the basis of protecting the existing trees and to avoid obstructing views from other properties further up the street.  Instead, the cropped building form defers to the living canopy over outdoor areas to the north and east, minimising the need for extended roofs or shading, and letting the pōhutukawa remain the stars of the show.

Views east to the sea are glimpses taken between beach-front houses and past another house at the north-eastern corner of the site.  The sun-facing deck at the north end of the site pulls the house on ‘tip-toe’ beyond the neighbouring house to take in the sea view.

Windows in the kitchen on the western side of the house are placed for visual connection to the other family baches further up the hill, while the cedar cladding references the context of those existing PAUA-designed houses.

A simple pallet of materials has been used, reflecting the bach aesthetic; cedar cladding, long-run roofing, and inside, largely birch ply.  Interiors are restrained and simple, the intention being that time is spent relaxing outdoors and at the beach.

Designed as a beach retreat, this home invites relaxation under the pōhutukawa, and quality time spent with family and friends, fully embracing the spirit of a New Zealand beach house.

Completed 2022

Photography by Aaron Radford, Dec 2022