In New Zealand, a “House Within a House” Explores the Limits of Indoor/Outdoor Living

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Project Details:

Location: Whakamaru, New Zealand

Architect: DCA Architects of Transformation / @dca_architects

Footprint: 3,218 square feet

Builder: HRC Construction

Structural Engineer: No.8 Engineering

Lighting Design: Antipodes

Cabinetry Design: Innovative Kitchens

Photographer: Simon Devitt / @simondevitt_photographer

From the Architect: "The Chodge is a rural holiday home in New Zealand designed by DCA Architects of Transformation. The dwelling is an exploration of the interstitial space between inside and outside, which is a "kiwi" holidaying obsession.

"The clients had camped on the bare land for 14 years prior. They requested a house that could be used across all the seasons, and feel intimate for two or spacious for ten. The design is an exploration of the interstitial space between inside and outside, how you live when on holiday, the relationship with landscape and connection to a rural vernacular.

"The woolshed vernacular drove the exterior form. The home has a simple pitched roof, unadorned, undecorated, and true to the existing woolshed standing on the property. The outer cladding is weathertight and light-emitting. A translucent skin on the interior contributes to the control of heat gain and loss. When open, large operable openings, fire-station doors, and aircraft hangar doors render the outside structure a large-scale veranda. Inside this outer shell is an extruded wooden container for living functions, designed to Passive House principles, cave like in stark contrast to the outside structure. This inner structure is wood clad, warm, recessive, and contemplative—essentially a house within a house.

"With this interstitial space, the occupants can live across all the seasons and weather patterns. Additional sleeping spaces on the mezzanine resonate with past camping on the site, in tune with the circadian rhythm of natural daylight hours. A simple frame with a curtain pulls around the beds to create a space with a degree of privacy."