Set within the relaxed coastal setting of Waikanae Beach, this project sought to replace a quintessential kiwi holiday bach that was at the end of a long and prosperous life with a modern new build that will replicate its ‘easy living’ but is overflowing with modern amenity for the family to retire to.

The design strategy uses the DNA of the original bach plan to create a simple 2-bedroom home that is jam-packed with life and utility, and a new self-contained sleepout in place of the existing garage-come-sleepout. The overall form of the house is a simple gable, the north side forming the main house, and the south side split between the covered carport, and dissected to form the separate sleepout, as if carved out of the main house. The exterior appears as a low-maintenance kiwi colorsteel box, with apertures of light and colour scattered across each façade, its high level of detail disguised within its effortless form.

The simple form is complimented by a simple plan, one that maximises every available space. With clever manipulation of volume and cabinetry, the two-bedroom home + sleepout can as comfortably sleep 11 as it can 2. The sleepout is positioned to work as an extension of the house when needed, and as a separate oasis when not. Pockets of space between standard timber trusses are utilised to draw in light and expand rooms vertically, and storage space is subtly tucked into each nook and cranny. Honest materials are used throughout, providing a harmonious blank canvas for the client, an artist, to indulge in colour.

The design is relaxed and uncomplicated – it provides the perfect backdrop for living life year-round at the beach, in all its seasonal iterations.