Kokako Heights House — Arkhē Architecture

Kokako Heights House is a measured response to its pristine natural surroundings. The small footprint is a deliberate design decision, offering all the essential spaces for comfortable and sustainable living, in alignment with its context.

Located at the Matatā Conservation Estate, in the Bay of Plenty, the site enjoys abundant native vegetation and breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and Moutohorā Whale Island.

The clients — keen trampers — tented on-site for over a year after walking the length of Aotearoa New Zealand on the Te Araroa Trail, becoming intimate with living only with what is essential.

The brief called for a measured response: shelter from the elements, seamless integration with the site, and direct access to the views. The design consists of a modest ensemble of structures arranged along the western and northern edges of the site, ensuring easy access and optimal alignment with views and sunlight. The folded roof form — at times unassuming from ground level — gradually rises towards the east, where maximum sunlight is captured through a fully glazed corner and clerestory windows. The shed follows a similar principle, its roof gently rising towards the western bank, mimicking the site’s morphology.

The main dwelling holds the northern edge, maintaining visual access to the ocean and Moutohorā. The main bedroom benefits from the apex ceiling height and abundant light to the east; guest bedrooms interface with native bush at the opposite end. At the centre, the open-plan living area uses full-width sliding doors and a raking clerestory window to maximise engagement with the surrounding vistas.

Charred and brushed Japanese cedar cladding brings natural tactility to crucial areas, while robust metal cladding blends with the surrounding shades of green, subduing the building’s presence against the bush. Inside, muted, often moody dark tones contrast with the golden hues of the birch plywood raking ceiling.

The modest footprint and passive design principles ensure minimal embodied and operational energy: northern verandah shading deflects high-angle summer sun while admitting the low winter sun to heat the concrete floor, complemented by in-slab heating as the only active heat source, high-performance insulation and low-emission double glazing.