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Collection by Allie Weiss

Green, Tiny, Budget-Friendly: 5 Resourceful New Zealand Houses

These smart houses in New Zealand make significant savings, whether that be in energy, square footage, or cost.

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Built to go off the grid, this remote beachside cottage can open up completely to the outdoors with its series of movable wall-sized glass panels and screens. Designed by Herbst Architects, the modest New Zealand bach comprises two rectangular pavilions built with mostly natural materials chosen for their durability, texture, and weathering characteristics.
Built to go off the grid, this remote beachside cottage can open up completely to the outdoors with its series of movable wall-sized glass panels and screens. Designed by Herbst Architects, the modest New Zealand bach comprises two rectangular pavilions built with mostly natural materials chosen for their durability, texture, and weathering characteristics.
A dishwasher by Miele, refrigerator by Mitsubishi, and Baumatic cooktop are nestled into the custom kitchen, which features laminate-covered cabinets and a stainless steel countertop.
A dishwasher by Miele, refrigerator by Mitsubishi, and Baumatic cooktop are nestled into the custom kitchen, which features laminate-covered cabinets and a stainless steel countertop.
The designers fabricated everything in the house, down to the quarter-sawn pine and macrocarpa-wood kitchen cabinetry and concrete floor. “Physically the most challenging part of the build was wrestling an incredibly slippery concrete pump up the muddy driveway in the rain!” says designer Ben Mitchell-Anyon. The enamel pendant light is vintage. Photo by: Paul McCredie
The designers fabricated everything in the house, down to the quarter-sawn pine and macrocarpa-wood kitchen cabinetry and concrete floor. “Physically the most challenging part of the build was wrestling an incredibly slippery concrete pump up the muddy driveway in the rain!” says designer Ben Mitchell-Anyon. The enamel pendant light is vintage. Photo by: Paul McCredie
The Herbsts designed the home with a covered terrace to encourage outdoor living in the island’s temperate climate.
The Herbsts designed the home with a covered terrace to encourage outdoor living in the island’s temperate climate.