Trends New Zealand NZ New Home Trends Vol. 30/4 | Page 54

Escaping the city for a holiday home on
the coast involves a complete change of
lifestyle. The days take on their own shape
as the family settles into a lazy routine
that may or may not involve entertaining,
boating, swimming or hiking. Either way,
it will certainly be all about relaxation.
Holiday homes need to encourage
such a lifestyle. It helps if they are low
maintenance, and they work best when
there’s a social hub where everyone can
hang out together, and enjoy the views
and sunshine. And, for most families, a

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holiday home needs to be designed and
built in a cost-effective manner.
All these elements came into play with
this Akaroa house, designed by David Hill
of Wilson and Hill Architect and built by
James Mackay Builders.
Hill says the owners wanted their
holiday home to be informal, and built
from simple materials. The architect says
it was also important to minimise the footprint, even though the site is large.
“A Coastal Protection Zone boundary
runs right through the site, which limited

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where we could build. The owners also
wanted the house to be at the top of the
site, which would provide the easiest
access and the best views. As a result, the
actual building platform was quite small,
so the footprint of the house is not large.”
To maximise the spectacular views,
Hill created a series of three glazed,
double-height modules that step back
along the ridge. These are capped with
a twisted, pitched roof that follows th e
angle of the building, creating a sheltering
overhang between each module.