Allistar Cox

The client’s brief here was simple: a large window looking south. On a site with an uninterrupted view of the horizon the house sits on a north/ south axis on the edge of the North Island. In the face of threatening southerlies and the moody Cook Strait, the site is both majestic and sometimes threatening…requiring a dwelling that is both protective and expansive.  

The design and detailing of the house reflect the notions of exposure and enclosure, integration and separation from the sometimes-harsh environment.
Composed of glazed living areas, bedrooms anchored by concrete block fins and a central hearth, the house is detailed to frame a seamless extension of the view. Full height window joinery creates a refined transition between the floor and the surface of the ocean.

Interior walls are formed with paneled mahogany joinery units, providing storage space and partitions in one gesture. A sheltered courtyard is an extension of the living area, with spectacular sea views, framed through the house itself.

Each space here becomes its own window; a series of dynamic volumes within the landscape. The constant and sometimes relentless shifts in ocean, light and wind modify every experience in the house. An audacious client/architect relationship with passion and vision allow this house to sing.