©1968
2024
The owners of this beachfront home have a Polynesian and Melanesian background and a strong component of this heritage is reflected in the layout. The entrance references the ‘pure’aga’ (a traditional Rotuman Village) with arrival via a pathway skirting a central lawn and a cooking fire as the communal heart of the home. Conceptually, the scheme is about the spaces beneath the roof. This structural framework is comprised of laminated timbers and band-sawn dark-stained pine. The home has a deliberately hewn feel to it.
Client
KP Barrett Family Trust
Location
Pauanui
Completion Date
November 2017
Awards
2019 DINZ Best Design Silver – Residential
2019 NZIA Waikato Bay of Plenty Architecture – Housing
The separate ‘apei’ wing and detached ‘tefui’ pavilion were designed for maximum flexibility for a growing family and guests. Glazing has been used to capture the expansive beachfront and ocean views, while providing privacy from neighbours to either side.
A patterned frit on the western façade of the main ‘ri fisi’ pavilion – meaning ‘white house’, a name given to a family home in Rotuma – replicates the sea, throwing shifting shadows onto the waxed concrete floors.
