The Brick Bay House has been designed by Glamuzina Paterson Architects, situated in Snells Beach, Warkworth, a small coastal town in the north of Auckland Region in the North Island of New Zealand. The dwelling is an enquiry into where a site begins and ends; how to define the edges of the project; and the way landscape may be inhabited. Firmly dug into the earth and composed as a simple L plan, its low form recollects modest farming buildings and the idea of an ‘Elegant Shed’. The house was designed for a family of five, with the clients wanting a house that responded to the contours of the land with a relaxed sense of connection to the rural surroundings. The house is located on the road to Snell’s Beach on a 4 ha section, that’s steeply rises to the west with views to Kawau Bay and a main road along the south western boundary.
The house negotiates the contours of the site with the private areas staggering down the hill to the south, creating a courtyard, and providing protection. The L plan forms a barrier to the road above on the south west boundary, blocking noise and giving privacy. The north deck opens to the east and west allowing afternoon sun to penetrate the living areas. The open plan living areas under the gable roof have porch enclosures to north and east that frame views to Kawau Bay.
Photos: Courtesy of Glamuzina Paterson Architects