the team, these changes would have been
prohibitive from a cost point of view, but their
inclusion certainly benefi ted the fi nal look and
feel of the house.
Internally, too, there’s a sense of evolution,
with many of the fi nishing touches having
been gathered from local recyclers, like Scaife
Timber. “I was trying to re-create the feel of the
baches from my childhood. For me, the whole
aesthetic is about found objects, where things
don’t match,” says Briony. “I love the fact that
every piece has a story and has had a life before
this, and that we’re now giving them a new life,
with a new story.”
There was innovation, too. The Pyroclassic
‘Mini’ fi replace, for example, was specially
launched with this building, and is one of the
world’s most effi cient log burners. There is
also the Click-Raft building system used in the
ceiling of the tower. It is clever, lightweight,
simple and beautiful. Both were invented and
are still here, made in New Zealand.
The eventual build went a little over time, but
was brought in on budget — a remarkable feat
given the cost of building a seaside home these
days. However, it doesn’t take into account the
huge number of people hours it took to build the
house. And that comes down to the stamina,
innovation and tenacity of owners Guy,
Briony and Roger, and the generosity of their
friends, colleagues and, in particular, their
neighbour Jonny.
The result is an ode to the classic Kiwi
bach, punctuated by the addition of current
building techniques. It is a curious hybrid of
the traditional and the modern, a celebration of
the classic Kiwi dream and a testament to the
generosity of people.
MATERIALS
Recycled native timbers Scaife
Timber (scaifetimber.com)
Greenstone hook/Matika Jonny
Clark ([email protected])
Building wrap Pro Clima
(proclima.co.nz)
Building supplies Black Sheep
(blacksheepconstruction.co.nz)
Paint Resene (resene.co.nz)
Scaff olding Kapiti Hire
(kapitihire.co.nz)SERVICESPlumbing supplier Benson-Cooper
Plumbing (benson-cooper
plumbing.co.nz)
Electrician Mark Minenkoff
Engineer Chris Speed
(dunningthornton.co.nz)
Fire installation Wellington
Fireplace (wellingtonfi replace.co.nz)
FITTINGS & FIXTURESHeating/fi replace Pyroclassic
(pyroclassic.co.nz)
Tiles The Tile Space (tiles.co.nz)
Custom windows Wood Workshop
(woodworkshop.co.nz)
Joinery — windows and doors
Porirua Building Recyclers
(buildingrecycler.co.nz)
Interior fi nishing & kitchen
cabinetry/worktops Neil Cromie
([email protected])
Feature lighting David Trubridge
(davidtrubridge.com)
Lighting Ideal Electrical
(ideal.co.nz)
Plumbing fi ttings Porirua
Building Recyclers
Flue The Flue Shop
(thefl ueshop.co.nz)PROJECT TEAM
Architect Guy Marriage,
First Light Studio
(fi rstlightstudio.co.nz)
Builder Jonny Clark
([email protected])
Clickraft Makers
of Architecture
(makersofarchitecture.co.nz)
Engineer Chris Speed
(dunningthornton.co.nz)ED’S FAVE THE VIEWS OF
THE OCEAN, WHICH ARE
PUNCTUATED BY TIMBER
LEFT A simple deck connects the
two halves of this bach, forming a
sheltered place to eat and relax
BELOW Although sparsely
decorated, the interior still allows
for a little luxury, such as these
David Trubridge pendant lights