Overview
Entrant:
Studio Now
Category:
08. Residential Design Award for Single Family Dwelling
Photographed by:
Mickey Ross
Key team members:
Architectural Designer - Ben Comber of Studio Now
Engineer - Alex Loye of Tetrad
Builder - Richie O'Malley
Perched on a coastal ridge above Lavericks Bay, this 35m² off-grid retreat sits lightly on the hillside, its triangular form shaped by wind, land and sea.
Located on a seventh-generation sheep and beef farm, the project reflects the pioneering resourcefulness of those who first settled the land. The retreat realises a long-held aspiration to place a small cabin on this pristine headland.
Exposed to coastal winds and expansive Pacific views, the building engages directly with its environment while remaining modest in scale. The brief was simple: create a retreat that respected the land physically and culturally, while demonstrating how timber construction can deliver durability and refinement in a harsh marine climate.
The building resolves as a pure equilateral triangle. This simple geometry provides inherent structural stability, allowing loads to resolve efficiently through its three sides and reducing conventional bracing demand. The form subtly echoes the silhouette of windswept trees that define the exposed headland landscape. The triangular geometry allows the timber structure to be read clearly both externally and internally, reinforcing the relationship between geometry, structure and material.
The primary structure comprises timber wall framing with structural Pinus radiata plywood sheathing acting as both diaphragm and interior lining, reducing material layers and construction complexity. A timber rafter roof spans the compact footprint. Timber-braced pile foundations allow the building to sit lightly above the sloping terrain while minimising ground disturbance.
A large horizontal window frames the dramatic cliff face across the bay, drawing the horizon deep into the interior. Minimal structural steel is discreetly integrated to support this opening, enabling transparency while maintaining a fundamentally timber-led structure. An outdoor bath recessed within the deck offers a sheltered place to soak while immersed in the surrounding landscape.
Externally, vertical lapped bevel-back weatherboards form a ventilated rainscreen. The boards appear ruffled by the dominant onshore winds. Thermally modified cladding enhances durability in the exposed coastal environment, while Accoya timber windows provide long-term performance in the marine climate. Internally, sustainably harvested native beech flooring and ceiling linings wrap the compact volume in warmth, elevating humble locally grown timbers into an experience of quiet luxury.
Wool insulation sourced from the farm reinforces the project’s connection to place, while solar generation and battery storage allow the retreat to operate entirely off-grid.
In its clarity and restraint, the triangular form is a quiet nod to Aotearoa’s No.8 wire ingenuity — doing more with less. Built from locally grown timber and perched lightly on the headland, the retreat feels inevitable in its setting — an architecture shaped by wind, land and sea.