This beautifully crafted timber dwelling sits on a site alongside an estuarine tendril of the Omaha River. The house is a three-part play, comprised of two separate wings, running north to south, connected by a boardwalk running east to west with a gabled guest wing. The elongated boardwalk is a key organising device to provide a variety of outdoor spaces to take advantage of the sun’s changing movements.

The house derives its outer form from the gabled barn of the rural vernacular, however the architectural language of traditional timber construction has been abstracted and extended. The architects chose to celebrate the aesthetic, tectonic and weathering possibilities of raw timber by using it for all exterior cladding and interior linings.  All joints and grains are exposed and on show with particular care given to the jointing of timber elements. This attention to detail is evidenced by the stained cedar weatherboards that begin as a narrow board and gradually expand in width until doubling in width at the gable apex. 

The cathedral like interior has natural warmth that is achieved by a combination of timber textures and colours. NZ Beach, mitred and spliced to form a seamless linear surface, is used to line the interiors. Structural components rhythmically march through the interior. Tonka posts, transom beams and truss frames are joined by exposed galvanised bolts, giving the interior an agricultural tone. The design of the house demonstrates a love of timber in all its textures, tones and colours.