Horopito Hut

The Brief
The brief was to design a small, economical new dwelling to support an existing 14 m² sleep-out cabin and retrofitted container on a 1 ha site in the central North Island, at the foothills of Mt Ruapehu. The central hut was to accommodate the primary living space, cooking facilities, amenities, and a small sauna. Capturing the “full mountain” view—along with views of Ngarahoe and the surrounding native bush—was a key priority. Exterior and interior finishes were to be selected to sit comfortably within the natural landscape. The dwelling was to be located within an ongoing native garden project that the owners have been developing since purchasing the bare section of land five years ago.
Design Intent
As a spatial strategy, the principles of light, generous height proportion [in relation to small footprint], the use of external ‘corridors’ and orientation were carefully employed as a resolution of function of a small space. Material selection emerged through a purposeful departure from “standard” materials and through conversations with local timber mill merchants and foresters, a stone craftsman. The design rationale and aesthetic around a simple DOC hut with predominantly economical timber finishes. The experience of walking outside to the sauna [and even the laundry] creates a connection with nature and the materiality, [emulating nature] creates a calming atmosphere.
The internal materiality was deliberately selected to appear monochromatic and emulate the surrounding environment, with a slant on New Zealand finishes – matai hardwood flooring milled at the local Raetihi Mill; meranti plywood wall linings, with meranti kitchen cabinetry reminiscent of mid century New Zealand housing which became a kind of “quiet hero” because it sat perfectly at the intersection of Modernist ideas, local building economics, and a particular taste for warm, crafted interiors. The vintage cane furniture introduces a tactile counterpoint to the timber linings with a priceless totara Kahu sculpture bought from a local carver.

Innovation
Material experimentation around a locally sourced and crafted andesite stone basin, diamond cut from a Ruapehu boulder approximately 200,000–250,000 years old, is one of the unique features of the project. An outdoor heat pump Hot water cylinder was critical in space saving and was carefully located under the sauna window. Every ‘inch’ was considered to counter the balance of spatial experience. Selection of a beautifully designed sleeper couch [as banal as it seems] was instrumental in unlocking dual functionality of space.