My Side of the Mountain – Kawakawa House by Herbst Architects

The modernist timber and glass structure cantilevers from atop a masonry base, creating a raised platform that houses the living area and bedrooms. As a result, these primary spaces are blessed with views of the water and a unique sense of being suspended within the mature Pohutukawa trees.

Raising the home above the site is a simple solution to the house in front that blocks the view, yet the decision to rest the living and bedroom spaces over a concrete plinth means the effect is not heavy or overpowering. Rather, the overhang allows for space beneath the majority of the structure, allowing it to ‘breathe’ and establish lines of sight from each side of the building through to the surrounding bushland.

The main living space is conceived of as a covered deck, which speaks to a sense that the project is not so much a traditional house, grounded in the earth and protected on all sides by four walls and a roof, but rather a living platform that facilitates a life amongst the branches. An internal courtyard, a space protected from the winds that blow from the west, further breaks down the distinction between indoors and out. With glazed walls, glimpses of the sky are seen as one looks across the courtyard and through to the rest of the home on the other side.

With simplicity and efficiency, in only a few design moves Herbst Architects creates an elegant response that makes the most of a challenging yet remarkable site.