Brief
Create a house for lovers of the outdoors that’s built on strong sustainability principles.
Inside out living in West Auckland
This eco-home in the Waitakere ranges takes the form of four ‘tents’ positioned to make the most of the site’s bush location and spectacular views.
Each has a specific function: the ‘greeting tent’ is the gateway to the ‘living tent’, the ‘sleeping tent’, and the ‘winter tent’. The living and sleeping tents frame harbour views and all tents are linked by timber-slatted walkways.
The home is designed to allow year-round outdoor living. Roofs extend beyond the interiors like tent flies, bringing the outdoors in and giving a sense of living cheek-to-cheek with nature. Verandas and overhangs shield inhabitants from sun and rain – the latter a key consideration as the Waitakere hills get over 2,000mm of annual rainfall, twice that of Auckland city.
Environmental and sustainability are built-in. Timber is from sustainably managed forests. Tents are orientated towards the sun and in-between spaces provide sheltered courtyards. Cedar louvres naturally ventilate the spaces.
Underfloor-heated polished concrete slabs heat the house, powered by a low-energy heat pump. High levels of insulation, thermal mass in the form of concrete floors, and thermal breaks help retain the sun’s warmth into the night and keep the house cool in summer. Water is heated using a low-energy heat pump.
Other eco-features include low-energy walkway lighting activated by movement sensors, a self-sustaining saltwater swimming pool, and a septic system that uses tiger worms to break down blackwater waste.
Three tanks collect the bountiful rain to use in the house, pool, and sprinkler system.
