A Remote Retreat in New Zealand Celebrates Affordable Materials and Life’s Simple Pleasures

Located on a windswept site, this one-bedroom hut is built to withstand the rigors of rural life, and it can be adapted to sleep up to six guests.

Aug 26, 2021 - 01:34

A Remote Retreat in New Zealand Celebrates Affordable Materials and Life’s Simple Pleasures

Located on a windswept site, this one-bedroom hut is built to withstand the rigors of rural life, and it can be adapted to sleep up to six guests.

Secluded on an isolated corner of a farm bordering the Kaimai Mamaku Conservation Park on the North Island of New Zealand is a tiny, single-bedroom hut designed by architect Claire Natusch of Common Space. At first glance, it might appear to be a simple farm building—yet a closer look reveals a carefully crafted retreat that plays off the vernacular of farm sheds and celebrates a simple yet evocative material palette. Inside, the pragmatic materiality is elevated through its raw honesty, and considered design details offer moments of joy and reflection for the residents.

The retreat sits on an exposed high point giving it views of the forest, Bay of Plenty coastline, and city lights of Tauranga in the distance. "This exposure is part of what causes strong winds to buffet it, — The retreat sits on an exposed high point, giving it views of the forest, the Bay of Plenty coastline, and the city lights of Tauranga in the distance. "This exposure is part of what causes strong winds to buffet it," says architect Claire Natush. "The builders had to strap down any materials that arrived on-site before they blew away."
Photo by Samuel Hartnett

The hut is shared between two owners who have a dairy farming partnership, and the land has been in family ownership for several generations. It’s currently used as a support block for the main operation over an hour’s drive away, and they wanted somewhere to have a cup of tea during the day, or to sleep when working on-site. They also wanted to be able to use it as a retreat on weekends and it needed to have a layout that could adapt to sleep up to six people.

"There is no formed driveway to the retreat, the owners just drive across the paddock in their 4-wheel drive vehicles, — "There is no formed driveway to the retreat—the owners just drive across the paddock in their four-wheel-drive vehicles," says architect Claire Natusch. "They often had to give me a lift to site, as my little city car couldn’t hack it. Getting supplies to the site in winter was tricky, and part of the design consideration was to keep individual building elements small and assembled on-site rather than preformed trusses or steel elements that would require heavy trucks driving up slippery hillsides."
Photo by Samuel Hartnett

"Claire was engaged to design and oversee the build of our rural retreat, the design of which involved several parties—each with their own wish list," says the client. "It could have been a near-impossible task, but Claire listened to our needs and wants and successfully delivered a design all were happy with—and within budget, too."