Matua House

The building comprises two distinct forms: an extroverted canopy/awning and an introverted two-storey timber structure, both running east to west. This configuration optimises the northern aspect for living, sea views and site spatial configuration (including areas of dwelling, play, service and cultivation),whilst also achieving privacy and connectivity with neighbours and the community.

The canopy with living/kitchen/dining, responds to the clients’ memories of tenting holidays, where they spent time with extended family cooking, eating, and playing cards until the early hours of the morning under their canvas awning. The timber structure accommodates private spaces and utilities, with uninterrupted views of the sea from the first floor.

Textured exterior materials, including cedar, bagged brick, and stone tile floors, blur the demarcation line between inside and out. External materiality is juxtaposed with a reserved palette of interior materials consisting of rustic oak floors and white painted walls within sheltered spaces of the two-storeyed structure.