Te Pahu House
Te Pahu, Waikato
A Two-Part Story
This new home was built in two stages, for two different clients. The initial component of the home was designed to a simple fixed brief for a ‘minimalist’ home. After the original owners opted for a sea change, the new property purchasers approached PAUA to almost double the size of the home. The result is a family home that embraces nature and the location to make the most of the luxurious views over the Waikato.
Completed 2006 and remodelled 2013
NZIA Waikato Bay of Plenty Architecture Award 2009 - Residential
The owners of this special hillside property came to PAUA (then Antanas Procuta Architects) with a fixed small budget, and a simple fixed brief for a ‘minimalist’ home. They were prepared to make sacrifices and to be disciplined to keep to the project price, but to also allow an architecture that embraced the nature and views of the location, and enhanced their enjoyment of the place. An equally disciplined design was devised that afforded wonderful living and bedroom spaces, and allowed materials such as ply linings and concrete floors to make an elegantly crafted home.
After the original owners decided to move to a surfing beach, the new property purchasers approached PAUA to almost double the size of the home, incorporating a main bedroom suite, a separate lounge, and a formal entry lobby. Cedar cladding and shading battens texture the new-build, and generous outdoor decks extend the living area to make the most of the luxurious views over the Waikato.
NZIA Waikato Bay of Plenty Architecture Award 2009 - Residential
Jury Citation:
“The brilliant simplicity of the design and the discrete exterior of this house hide a delightful and timeless living space. The clever concept has all rooms apart from the services areas facing north and enjoying the wonderful panorama that is Mount Pirongia, while the south elevation is modulated with storage projections and glazing. Modest warm materials used internally contrast with the cooler colours of the view.”