Paihia House.

Designed by Herbst Architects, this home is perched upon a clifftop with sweeping views over Paihia Harbour.

The main aesthetic and structural feature is the use of untreated laminated New Zealand Red Beech posts and beams that fly out beyond the building envelope to support cantilevered decks and the internal steel skeleton of the ‘floating’ roofs. This allows the house to be opened out toward the view, brightening the internal spaces but protecting the envelope from the rain and direct sun.

With extensive timber internal linings, external cedar cladding, feature battened screens and light bagged brick, the spaces are warm and inviting.

The intricacy of the connections between the exposed timber structural elements and the floors and roofs made this an extremely demanding build technically.

Architect: Herbst Architects.

Engineer: Sullivan Hall.

Photography: Jackie Meiring.