Pristine and Peaceful Shoal Bay Beach House
Written by Jennifer Heyns
New Zealand is pretty much as far away from the United States as you can possibly get on our orb, so it stands to reason that their ideals and methods of homebuilding would differ greatly. The Shoal Bay Beach House is evidence that the goals of modern architecture in New Zealand are much more simplistic and pure in execution.
The family wanted to create a beach house on the east coast of southern Hawkes Bay that blended with nature rather than dominating it. So, Parsonson Architects built the dual-structured home above ground, and entirely out of a combination of plywood and lumber. The two pavilion-style structures sit side-by-side, offset just slightly with a deck on one end of each, so that the residents can enjoy a whole day’s worth of sunshine.
The beauty truly is in the simplicity. A peek inside demonstrates how clean and bright a beach house can be, with sleek lines and solidarity among materials and colors.
The exposed plywood covers the ceilings, walls and cabinet backs. It’s matched in hue by the plank flooring, suspended light fixtures (which are extremely cool and must create amazing shadow and light displays when illuminating a dark room), built-in features and even the furniture.
The exterior of the home has the same feel, with the slatted and paneled wood siding and rooftops. What you don’t notice right away from inside is the vast amount of glass the house contains. Large picture windows, glass doors and skylights are as plentiful as sheets of plywood.
The entire home has a calming effect; I can’t imagine doing anything but relaxing in the pristine natural setting that Parsonson Architects only enhanced with their creation.
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