This house looks to address the conundrum of living on one of the busiest street frontages in New Zealand. Mount Maunganui's Marine Parade therefore in its own right has privacy issues for its residents. On one hand, there is the need for engagement with the public space but also to provide for privacy from them on the other. The clients wanted to retain a connection with the view and public spaces but also have privacy at the same time. The master bedroom on the first floor deals with this issue by use of solid timber shutters into a two story void. The shutters allow for the bedroom to be open during the day and closed up and private when required. A split level which runs the length of the house enables an elevated kitchen, dining and deck to see over the sand dunes and a lower lounge which gives more privacy and containment. A series of living spaces wrap around a north facing central courtyard, which gives a grounding to the centre of the house, but also gives the house an ability to have a strong connection at all levels to a green space. This is mostly missing in waterfront properties as clients look to squeeze building onto every last inch of the site. The clients here recognise that place is not just about the view to the ocean but the immediate connection to site and daylight, which the courtyard gives.

A floating roof allows simplicity of form while protecting outdoor areas

The clients wanted to retain the original house’s floor height in order to see the water over the sand dunes. This was achieved by having the kitchen and dining on this upper level which extends to a deck over the pool, making for a semi-public space which engages with the footpath and road. The lounge is set down to provide privacy and retreat.

Looking up from Lounge area to Master Bedroom shutters above. Bringing the brick internally gives a solid sense of construction and a textural relief from other internal materials.

Setting the upper level bedroom back enables the ability to shut the solid timber shutters down for privacy.

An upper level bridge alongside the two storey courtyard creates a change in experience when accessing the most private area of the house, the master bedroom and nook.

The house aligns itself around the two storey courtyard. It is an orientation device and an external relief from the building itself. It also acts as an additional outdoor area when sheltering from differeing winds and sun angles.