Brick Bay House

Location

Warkworth, New Zealand

Description

The Brick Bay House is situated within a large farm setting an hour north ofAuckland. The spectacular landscape sits between sea and sky overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The house and its vast surroundings create a scene that mirrors the passage of a vessel on the undulating surface of the ocean.

The house sits on the site in heroic fashion, with a rigidity almost complete?the sea, some 200 metres (656 feet) away, is kept at bay?while turning its back to the scenic play of the landscape as if in a state of departure from its own surroundings. But once inside, the land and sea appear to be constructed and revealed around its bulk, gathering and holding them for the occupants to experience.

The rendered tapering perimeter walls mimic the solidity and mass of masonry walls. Like the roof, the walls are separate elements that function to convey the idea of a dwelling rather than propose the structure of a dwelling. These operate more like screens rather than solid elements which divide space.

The house interior mimics a playful outdoor nature with a series of containers distributed vertically and connected by walkways, bridges, and ladders. These transitional devices break up volume and space, reinforcing its component-like nature. Basic dwelling elements have been taken apart and refashioned into identities in their own right: the re-assembly results in a convoluted interior. Furthermore, they enable the house to be viewed from a continually shifting point, fragmenting the viewer's experience, so that the house becomes a collection of constructed views and scenes to be seen from the kinetic perspective of the occupant.