Kawakawa Bach: Innovative Multi-Functional Coastal House

Kawakawa Bach: Redefining the Beach House on Challenging Terrain

Perched above the forest floor in Piha, New Zealand, the Kawakawa Bach by Herbst Architects presents an innovative model for building a beach house on rugged terrain. Completed in 2017, this elevated structure does not resist the site’s challenges but harmonizes with them, creating a unique experience for its residents.

Interaction with the Surrounding Environment

Rather than attempting to conquer the steep, tree-covered terrain, the designers chose to raise the house to meet the canopy, allowing residents to enjoy glimpses of the ocean and dappled sunlight filtering through native branches. This approach highlights how architecture can transform from a mere building into an element in harmony with nature.

Innovation in the Design of the Suspended Platform

Elevating the structure on a suspended platform reflects a smart solution for dealing with the dense forest shadows. Instead of trees obstructing views, the house floats between the ground and the sky, enhancing the feeling of immersion in nature and creating an intimate relationship with the surrounding trees. This design approach emphasizes the importance of adapting to the site rather than resisting it, offering a key lesson in sustainable architecture.

Kawakawa Bach coastal house in Piha, New Zealand, featuring elevated architecture that integrates with forest and terrain, balancing open views and shelter.

A Year-Round, Multi-Functional Summer House

This house is not just a summer retreat; it has been designed for year-round use, capable of withstanding the occasionally harsh conditions of Piha’s coast while maintaining high levels of comfort in all seasons. The design balances openness to the environment with shelter, allowing doors and windows to frame the natural scenery when conditions permit, while providing protection when the weather changes.

Windows as Frames for the Landscape

The large windows frame outdoor views like living artworks, bringing nature into every room. This approach reflects a deep understanding of the relationship between humans and nature, where the outside world becomes an integral part of the daily living experience, not just a distant scene.

Natural Adaptation to the Environment

The house’s distinction lies in its seamless integration with its surroundings. Instead of clearing the site and removing vegetation, the building is designed to weave through existing plants naturally. Living areas and bedrooms occupy the elevated platform, giving residents the sensation of living within the forest itself. The suspended form adds a sense of lightness, preventing the structure from dominating its environment and making the house appear as an organic extension of the surrounding landscape.

Honoring Innovative Architecture

Recognition came swiftly: Kawakawa Bach won the Sir Ian Athfield Award for Housing at the 2018 New Zealand Architecture Awards, the country’s highest honor for residential architecture. The judges praised the project’s ability to establish compelling connections with its surroundings and its precise response to a challenging site, emphasizing that intelligent architecture can enhance natural beauty rather than diminish it.

A Subtle Approach to Coastal Living

The project embodies a thoughtful approach to coastal living. While many beach houses focus on views through dramatic site alterations, Kawakawa Bach achieves visual connection in a more subtle and harmonious way. By working with the natural terrain and existing vegetation, the house offers an immersive experience in nature, where residents live not just near the environment, but within it.

Design Philosophy: Respect and Integration

Herbst Architects, multiple NZIA award winners, have built a reputation based on sensitive responses to New Zealand’s diverse landscapes. Kawakawa Bach exemplifies this approach, demonstrating that even on rugged, forested coastal sites, architecture can create spacious living areas that respect their surroundings. It is a lesson in design restraint, showing that sometimes the most powerful architectural move is knowing when to elevate rather than remove.

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

Kawakawa Bach exemplifies how a house can adapt to rugged terrain and surrounding forest in a way that balances openness to nature with the provision of shelter. Among its strengths is the suspended platform, which allows for enjoying the views without excessive intervention on the site, and the large windows that enhance the visual connection with the natural environment, a valuable lesson in integrating a building with its surroundings.

However, the project also raises questions from the perspective of practical architecture and sustainable cost. Elevating the entire structure on high platforms may be limited in its applicability to other sites, particularly in areas with challenging terrain or high construction costs. The heavy reliance on natural views and existing vegetation makes the design highly sensitive to any site alterations or weather changes, potentially reducing long-term usability. Additionally, some architectural solutions, such as expansive openings and full-height windows, may require ongoing maintenance or higher energy consumption if not combined with effective sustainable technologies.

From a design perspective, the project offers a model for thinking about the relationship between a building and its natural site, encouraging designers to seek innovative solutions that avoid complete removal of nature, even if it requires compromising flexibility or adding structural complexity. Therefore, it can be considered a valuable case study in architecture that seeks to balance natural beauty, practical use, and sustainability, while recognizing the real-world limitations such solutions may face.