"Perched above the forest floor in Piha, New Zealand, the Kawakawa Bach by Herbst Architects reimagines what it means to build a beach house on challenging terrain. Completed in 2017, this raised structure doesn't fight its steep, tree-covered site. Instead, it rises to meet the canopy, lifting residents into a world where ocean glimpses and dappled sunlight filter through native branches."
"The design responds directly to its environment. The site's dramatic topography could have been seen as an obstacle, but Herbst Architects treated it as an opportunity. By elevating the structure on a cantilevered platform, the house escapes the shadows of the dense forest below and captures views that would otherwise remain hidden. The result is a dwelling that hovers between earth and sky, creating an intimate relationship with the surrounding trees."
Kawakawa Bach perches above Piha's forest floor on a cantilevered platform that lifts living spaces into the canopy and preserves existing vegetation. The elevated form escapes forest shadows and captures otherwise hidden ocean glimpses and dappled sunlight. Large windows frame the landscape and allow flexible openness to the environment while providing shelter from harsh coastal weather, enabling year-round use. The design weaves through native trees rather than clearing the site, creating an intimate relationship between interior spaces and surrounding branches. The structure's lightness prevents it from overwhelming the landscape. The house won the 2018 Sir Ian Athfield Award for Housing.
Read at Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News
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