Located in the coastal town of Onemana, New Zealand this small project is more than meets the eye. Whilst it was small in both budget and footprint, clever thinking and innovative solutions have produced a bach which ticks all the boxes...
This small project is unique in many ways, including the project team consisting of Dave Strachan in conjunction with 16 third year architecture students, John Cocks and Marshall Cook - the team is known as Studio 19. This team not only designed the Onemana bach, they built it!
With a total footprint of only 100 square metres (75 square metres internally plus 25 square metres of decks), the home offers a master bedroom with private deck, bunkroom, bathroom/laundry with both interior and exterior access, kitchen, living, dining with decks to both the East and West and built in furniture and storage throughout.
A number of design decisions have elevated a simple building to a project which is full of interest and rich in character; a key move is the timber slatted breezeway which penetrates the high performance thermal envelope, running North-East to South-West. This assists the natural cross ventilation and highlights the play of light with the late afternoon sun filtering through the trees and timber slatting.
The building also includes a take on traditional board and batten, offering rhythm and relief. A double floor step works with the natural contours of the site and the monopitch roof hovers above the slope with large timber doors peeling back to open the corner.
The material palette is locally sourced, boasting timber throughout including decking inside and out, slatted ceilings and privacy screens and plywood on both walls and ceilings.
The clients "couldn't be happier". They did not want a large, elaborate beach house, nor would their budget allow; they wanted a well designed, compact, stylish yet simple easy care place to go with their two girls. And thanks the the architecutre students in Studio 19, that's exactly what they got.