Explore New Zealand’s best baches

Located on Mangawhai’s Bream Tail Farm just north of Auckland, The Dart is set on a dramatic and windswept cliff top site high above the sea. Pointing due north, the triangular form acts as a compass from above and anchors the building to the land while capturing expansive views to the east to the sea, and rolling farmland to the west. At ground level, the building reads more simply, its long gabled form reminiscent in part of a typical farm shed. Wrapped in western red cedar oiled with Dryden WoodOil Platinum, it echoes the hues of driftwood on the beaches below. Inside, a collection of simple but arrestingly beautiful spaces allow this little bach to draw in the striking coastal and rural environs between which it sits.

Cover image: The Dart, designed by Studio John Irving Architects. Image: Paul Brandon

This Lake Rotoiti holiday home presents as a concrete bunker of sorts – designed as a winter and summer getaway, it unfolds across two visually distinct levels. The site slopes down from the road to the lake, so one of the first design decisions made was to place the main living areas on the lower level to maximise interaction with the lake. Here, there’s no fencing or visual delineation between properties and a large grassed area extending along the lakefront invites casual interactions with passersby. A sunken conversation pit has a fire bowl at its centre, while inside the kitchen and living area are defined by concrete – a move that reinforces the idea of the home being bunker-like and moody in winter and a cool sanctuary in the summer months.

In a setting of champagne golds and pastel purples, this Otama Beach house unfolds between a lazy hillside and a pristine white sand beach. Designed by Jeremy Brick of Studio Brick Architects and Ben Lloyd and Mike Hartley of Lloyd Hartley Architects, its face is turned to the sun and the sea while at the rear of the site, a sheltered courtyard offers reprieve from the elements – delivering a holiday home where privacy and openness are perfectly balanced. The interiors offer moments of luxury within a series of versatile spaces that flow across two levels. Hill to Horizon House was named the 2021 Rural Home of the Year in HOME magazine’s annual awards programme, which celebrates the best New Zealand homes.