Hut on sleds

Resting gently on the sand dune just up from a pristine beach on New Zealand's Coromandel beach is a hut, a simple yet not so simple beach hut. Only 40 square metres it makes the most of every bit of space to provide a beach side getaway for a family of five. It can be closed to the elements yet with the turn of a wheel and the push of glass walls it opens to the view. Oh the view! Worth it don't you think. What makes this little self contained hut even more special is that it sits on two sleds that, with a little effort from a sturdy tractor, can make repositioning the home in response to the ever changing beachfront easy. It sits lightly upon the land this simple, clever hut. Beach side living stripped back to its elegant basics. It was time to go back and explore the portolio of  Auckland based Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects again. So glad I did.

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Design Journey 2012

Entries for the 2012 Corporate Culture Design Journey competition are now open. Design Journey was originally created to support the future of Australasian design and since its growth it has become an annual event. The lucky winner will have their design prototyped and exhibited at the Saturday in Design Fair the following year as well as having the unique opportunity to travel to Copenhagen to meet Rolf Hay, founder of Hay and Christian Rasmussen, Head Designer of Fritz Hansen. Past winners of the Design Journey competition include Arnold Lane (2004 & 2005), Ross Didier (2006), Futurespace (2007), Kirk Lenard (2008), and Gavin Harris (2009). This year's brief involves designing a suspended LED lighting pendant, which fulfils the needs for both residential and commercial use but you can find out all the details here.

Chest Lounge by Arnold Lane

Connected Table by Ross Didier

Zoe by Kirk Lenard

Takushi Table by Gavin Harris

Where the mountains rise from the water

I truly, truly believe that New Zealand is the most spectacular country on this earth. And if I wanted to sip fine wine, dine with a view and hot tub with an amazing vista then I might just have to do it at the Matakauri Lodge on Lake Wakatipu just minutes from Queenstown. Summer would be amazing but can you imagine winter? Light the fire, warm up the tub, amazing skiing is calling and if I could well ... I would. I really, really would.

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House on the island

Nestled amongst the trees on Barrier Island, New Zealand is this sustainably built home by Crosson, Clarke, Carnachan. Opening out to the site it embraces the landscape, borrowing its beauty. It is a simple home but its simplicity sits strongly with the majesty of the surrounds. External walls mimic the tree trunks while walls of windows dissolve the barrier between inside and out.

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House at the beach

I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that New Zealanders build the best beach houses. This is a big concession coming from an Australian. We pride ourselves on understanding the beach culture and our architects are some of the world's best but it just seems that the Kiwi's just do it better with the bach. For those of you who don't know bach is the kiwi for beach house. But it means more than just the building. It's the memories. It's the summer days and the salt spray and the barbeques and the fun. It's about summer rituals and roughing it and making do and fishing and wet swimsuits and sandy towels. Even when it's a luxury bach. It's stunning but it is still not overly precious. After all it really is about the sand and sea and the view and those long days with family and friends. A series of connected pavilions on a dramatic site at Kuaotunu by Auckland based architects Crosson, Clarke, Carnachan.

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