Bland Bay Bach
This holiday house for three families with young children is arranged on a site on the Whangaruru peninsula with views to the West onto the Whangaruru Harbour and to the East onto Bland Bay beach.
The building is arranged around a North facing courtyard where the families spend most of their summer evenings around the fire. The South facing façade has very few window openings to protect from the cold southwesterlies.
From the courtyard, views through to the harbour are possible thanks to a covered outdoor dining/living area. It creates a connection at ground level to both sides of the site. This space has rolled down see-through covers to allow the families to be exposed or protected from the elements.
The old bach or holiday Beach house before it was demolished.
Designed around the garage which had to accomodate a boat at ground level, the architecture has developed with direct references to the vernacular of the ‘Kiwi bach’. The Cedar board and batten cladding, the structural plywood floor upstairs left bare, the concrete floor downstairs were chosen for their low maintenance and also in reference to the vernacular of the raw materials and spaces of the ‘Kiwi bach’.
Passive energy Design was the main driver of some of the architectural features of the bach or beach house.
Big eaves on the North, West and East side of the building to shelter from the heat of the sun in summer and to protect from the rain. The angle of the roof allows the sun to penetrate the living areas in winter to heat the rooms. Having eastern, northern and southern decks covered by the cantilevered eaves allows the families to always have an outdoor space to use, protected from the elements yet still connected to nature depending on where the wind comes from. The outdoor spaces also allow the families to find some peace and quiet away from the bustle and hustle of families getting together.
Passive energy design, rainwater harvesting and onsite waste management make the building sustainable and ensures that minimal demand is made on resources outside the site.
The selection of raw materials and industrial details ensures the families have a rich experience during their stay at the bach/beach house.
Connected to nature Through The use of pure and raw materials.
The internal floor area is 202m2 with 85.5m2 of external wooden decks/terraces. The construction was completed in 2009 by Mather Builders. The project manager on site was Brian Mather.
Lyzadie Renault is the designer of the architecture and interiors. The project was led by Lyzadie Renault.
Photography is by Lyzadie Renault and Rowena Baines Photography.