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A Beach House for Generations to Share

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The famously cerebral architects David Mitchell & Julia Stout were once given the extremely novel commission of designing “a room to think in”. As David Mitchell puts it, “We’d never been asked for one of those before.”

But not every house is like that. Their Matarangi House – a multi-generational family bach they designed on New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula might be described as a house “for feeling” in. Feeling sheltered from the sea.

Mitchell & Stout‘s  describe as a home among the pines –  is an uncomplicated shelter for several generations to enjoy the holidays together.

A gathering spot between the buildings is sheltered from the wind. Bedrooms for the parents are in the front facing the beach. Children and guests are housed in the bedrooms that are in the second building nestled in the pines.

Inside and out,  construction of the joinery is bold and exposes the structure. Look at these solid sliding doors! Simple industrial  time-tested finishes are able to weather in place. Massive sliding metal doors are on industrial tracking systems. Radiant heating under the floor keeps the inside cozy.

Large timber framing is restrained with large screws and square brass washers both inside and out, because these huge sturdy sliding doors bring chunks of sea air inside. This construction will help prevent the wood from cracking over time as it is exposed to the salty coastal air.

Similarly, the unpretentious decking is practical and durable: left exposed to the sea air, it is intended to weather like a rough working wharf. This is one durable second home by the sea.