Thoughtful design by Herriot Melhuish O’Neill Architects honours a bygone bach on a Bay of Plenty beachfront.

WORDS Cassie Doherty PHOTOGRAPHY Jono Parker

Dryden Woodoil was used to protect this timber, with a special oil formula designed to maintain the wood and ensure durability from the elements in such an exposed environment.

Gaze at the sparkling water at this idyllic beachfront location in the Bay of Plenty and it’s easy to imagine the joys of summer breaks, special occasions and long weekends spent at the beloved family bach.

No surprise then that the homeowners were sad when it became clear that time was up for the ageing home.

“The original intent was to look at schemes for alterations, which we did,” says Duval O’Neill of Herriot Melhuish O’Neill Architects. “There were a lot of associated memories for the family with the little house that was there, but it became evident that it was going to be more feasible to replace it, and that was a really tough decision for them.”

The brief, therefore, was for a new home that felt like the old one. To Duval, that meant using the proportions of the previous spaces as a framework to ensure the home retained a familiar, cosy feel. “That was a great catalyst for us in terms of how to approach it,” he says. “It was about the scale of the spaces, and those constraints gave the new design meaning and structure. It became very clear why we were doing what we were doing.”

The goal was to honour the emotional connection to the old bach while creating a place for new memories, allowing future generations to experience the same sense of belonging and continuity.

There were, of course, practicalities to consider. With waves lapping at the edges, the site is highly coastal – meaning potential issues around future erosion or sea level rises. In a worst-case scenario, the design of the house means it can more or less be lifted and moved. There were also difficulties with construction on what is essentially a sandhill.

The build was the remit of Mt Maunganui-based construction company Thorne Group. “It is always difficult digging out in the sand,” acknowledges Thorne Group construction director Gavin Morrow. “But we’ve done a lot of this over the years, and we have a good system. It’s time-consuming but once the project is out of the ground, you gain momentum.”

Another challenge of such a coastal location is that the weather can be extreme. “We work on a lot of beautiful homes with beautiful views, but the storms are a little bit harder to deal with when you’re on the beachfront. The wind can really pick up when you’re using cranes or putting on a roof.”

Nevertheless, the build progressed smoothly and the result is striking. A garage topped with a sleepout was the only remaining structure on site, so that was upgraded and incorporated into the new home as guest accommodation. The rest of the house Duval describes as a series of small, elegantly crafted pavilions framing the open spaces. The floor plan responds to opportunities for views both to the ocean and to an estuary, which led to the one main point of difference from the previous bach: the addition of a second-storey master bedroom. The homeowners have embraced this new horizon with a special piece, a custom spiral staircase with detailed carvings on the edges of the treads. “They really took it to another level with this idea of ascending this beautiful staircase into their zone,” says Duval.

The home seamlessly offers layered experiences of being indoors or out. For example, if necessary to avoid strong sea breezes, there’s a recessed outdoor room to hunker down in by a fireplace. “The house really acts
as a kind of mechanism for allowing you to do all these outdoor activities. The homeowner is really into surfing, so there’s a storage area for surfboards and an outdoor shower. So it’s all set up as a typical beach house.”

That lifestyle and the environment are all very demanding of materials. “We had to think about every single component in terms of durability.” Outside, that meant mainly a combination of vertical and horizontal oiled cedar, and powder-coated aluminium.

Inside the textures continue, thanks to Annique Heesen of Gezellig Interiors, says Duval. “She was able to pick up on that really crafted aesthetic that we had developed, and everything has been so well-considered.”

The custom spiral staircase was crafted by Iron Design in Tauranga. It’s a meaningful part of the home’s design, as the ascent to the sanctuary of the primary bedroom, and the homeowners added personalised carvings to the treads.

Collaboration is key to the success of a project such as this. Duval worked alongside colleague Jenny Duck, architect for Herriot Melhuish O’Neill Architects in Tauranga. “She had a really strong hand in the design and delivery of this house,” says Duval. “Her level of passion and skill in terms of bringing this all together is the reason we have this result.”

This project was the first time Herriot Melhuish O’Neill Architects had worked with Thorne Group, and Duval was impressed by the level of care and detail. “They were very good at liaising with us and in celebrating the level of craft in the build. We really enjoyed the experience.”

Gavin agrees. “All architects have their vision and our job is to deliver that for everyone. It was really nice to be able to sit down and dig into how we could achieve what they wanted; they were very open to that.”

He’s so proud of the results here, from the impeccable detailing to the efficiency of the build, thanks to utilising the latest technology that offers full transparency and seamless communications. Most of all, he and the team loved getting to know the homeowners and delivering such a personal home for them. “The best part of any project is that the clients become friends. That’s a huge thing. It’s why we do it.”

And the homeowners? “We are incredibly grateful to the craftspeople who built our stunning beachfront home. Their dedication to quality and attention to detail is evident in every aspect of our house, which has become the heart of our family. The impeccable construction reflects not only their skill but also their passion for creating enduring legacies.”