A Modern Fort – Parihoa by Patterson Associates

Muriwai, Auckland, New Zealand

Exploring the idea of a modern outpost, or fort, Parihoa is an articulation of the coastal farmhouse overlooking its rugged and uncompromising coast. Patterson Associates develop a typology that guards and immerses.

Inspired by its incredible coastal outlook, experimentation with the traditional castle typology is the seed from which Parihoa grew. References to the outpost or fort, and their role as an outreaching architectural element surveying the surrounding seas and protecting its base, influence the formal and material foundations for the build. Elements of creating a sense of presence, offering a level of defence and protection from beyond, and a resilience to the environmental demands of the site, shape the way in which the form hugs the site and carves out areas of recluse.

Located off the coast of Auckland’s Muriwai, Parihoa sees no modification to the surrounding landscape in order to construct and insert its form. With wind and sea spray thundering upward from the ocean below, in some cases reaching heights of sixty metres, there is a strong and real reminder of the site’s vulnerability and engagement with the earth it sits upon. As both an affront, and respectful response, long vertical planes sit close to the terrain, with a defensive and resilient façade toward the ocean. This form then opens on the opposite side, creating courtyards and openings for circulation and gathering.

Arranged as a series of separate spaces, they are linked through this circulation courtyard and other secret doors. Ideals of discovery and concealment and reveal are embedded throughout. Linking back to the historical reference of a similar type of architecture, there is a deliberate connection to a transcendence of time. The entry lobby is also a place of protection, as the first point of call on approach, with pivoting sections of the perimeter wall able to be opened as needed.

Predominantly clad with in dark treated timber elements, the patina over time of the material will heighten the form’s connection to its site. Internally, the continued use of the dark timber further emphasises its presence. Bold forms and purposely positioned openings throughout the farmhouse allow for a connection to the ocean and unique site, where the long views stretch out to the dominating horizon. Patterson Associates has cleverly brought together aspects of the traditional with Parihoa, referencing the legacy of a significant architectural typology through a modern lens, responding to site lightly and sustainably within its unyielding context.