Sled House: A House You Can Relocate With a Tractor?

Whangapoua by Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects

Sled House

On the idyllic white sand of New Zealand's Coromandel Peninsula lies a stylish hut. Built on a sled.

The whole area is within a coastal erosion zone, meaning all structures must be removable. Architects Crosson Clarke Carnachan have taken the idea of removability very literally. This home sits on two sleds, making relocating it with a tractor a cinch. BYO tractor.

Movable or not, this is a space efficient and stylish beach retreat...

Whangapoua
Beach Houses, Timber Houses, Folding Doors, Window Shutters, Steel Windows

Location Appropriate: The home is appropriate to its location in more ways than its mobility. Timber left to age will blend into the environment over time. Huge folding shutters protects the home from the elements when unoccupied. It is practically off-grid, bar an electrical connection.

Whangapoua
Beach Houses, Timber Houses, Water Collection, Window Shutters, Fibre Cement

Feeling Like a Change? Our friend Photoshop helps us to visualize a relocation in progress. Unplug, hook up the tractor and the home can be moved to a more appropriate sand dune location in seconds. Probably best you don't try to take this show (home) on the road, though.

Sled House is a reinterpretation of a typical New Zealand 'bach' -- or low budget beach shack. Recently we featured an Australian interpretation of the bach, Venus Bay Bach.

Whangapoua
Beach Houses, Timber Houses, Joinery, Folding Doors, Window Shutters, Steel Windows

Open to the View: Large folding shutters open the home to the spectacular beach view. Full-height window/doors also open. It feels like you're right there on the beach (but you're actually in the comfort of your stylish ply-clad shack).

Whangapoua
Beach Houses, Timber Houses, Timber Deck, Window Shutters

Closed from the Elements: For large parts of the year, this home is unoccupied (it's a holiday home after all). Luckily when a harsh New Zealand winter bears down, the shutters can be closed and the whole home is protected from the elements.

Whangapoua
Beach Houses, Fireplaces, Joinery, Plywood, Exposed Rafters, Rugs

Warm Inside: With a wood fireplace and plywood-lined walls, the home is warm and inviting inside -- even when the skies are grey outside.

Whangapoua
Timber Houses, Fireplaces, Joinery, Plywood, Timber Deck, Exposed Rafters, Timber Kitchens, Kitchens, Rugs, Lofts

Double Height: A double height space (with mezzanine bedroom) makes the pint-sized living area feel more spacious than it actually is. Besides, there's always the beach right outside the door to give you a feeling of spaciousness!

Whangapoua
Fireplaces, Joinery, Plywood, Timber Deck, Rugs

Double Height: A view from the mezzanine level shows the built in furniture and otherwise simply furnished 'bach'.

Whangapoua
Timber Houses, Folding Doors, Window Shutters, Steel Windows
Whangapoua
Beach Houses, Timber Houses, Water Collection, Fibre Cement

Water Wise: One tank for recycled grey water, the other for rainwater. This home is water wise and efficient.

Whangapoua
Beach Houses, Timber Houses, Window Shutters

Window Shutters: Window shutters double as sun shades once they are opened.

Whangapoua
Beach Houses, Timber Houses, Water Collection, Window Shutters, Fibre Cement, Roof Deck

Roof Deck: A scenic roof deck offers the best vantage point to take in the stunning coastline.

Whangapoua
Plywood, Basins

Rustic Fittings: The home is kept simple on many levels, including the fittings. Taps are made from raw copper pipe and agricultural taps.

Whangapoua
Beach Houses, Plywood, Showers
Whangapoua
Joinery, Plywood, Skylights, Bedrooms

Master Bedroom: From the mezzanine bedroom level, a simple ladder offers access to the roof deck.

Whangapoua
Joinery, Bunk Beds

Triple Bunks: A triple level bunk room provides enough space for the kids in one communal sleeping area -- perfect for simple family holidays.

Whangapoua
Whangapoua

A Beach-Side Sled House

Adapting to the local conditions, this beach-side sled house is sophisticated enough to be simply moved out of the way if erosion or weather conditions dictate the need. Despite the requirement to be movable, the home does not sacrifice on internal finishes and fittings. Inside the home is space efficient, but still luxurious.

Maybe it's just the beach begging to be explored, but in just 48m2, this home feels like a mansion. It certainly fits a lot into a small (tractor-moveable) space.

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