New Zealand

Homes from New Zealand that have been previously featured on Lunchbox Architect

Whangapoua by Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

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

Sled House sits in two sleds making relocating it with a tractor a cinch. The whole area is within a coastal erosion zone; All structures must be removable.

Coromandel Bach by Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Coromandel Bach: Beach House (Literally) Opens to the View

Coromandel Bach was conceived as a container sitting lightly on the land for habitation. A 'bach' is a New Zealand term for a simple holiday shack.

Port-a-Bach by AtelierWorkshop (via Lunchbox Architect)

Port-a-Bach: A Portable Teeny Tiny Shipping Container Home

This 'Bach' - a New Zealand term for a small holiday shack - is built inside a shipping container. It's a self-contained, portable, and fun retreat for a family of four.

Palm Beach House by Vaughn McQuarrie Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Palm Beach House Steps Down a Difficult But Spectacular Site

This home is tucked into lush forest on New Zealand’s Waiheke Island. Entry is via a wooden draw bridge! And that's just the beginning…

Blackpool House by Glamuzina Paterson Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Blackpool House at Home in the Tree Canopy

Tackling difficult topography, a heavily treed site and a modest budget, Blackpool House defiantly lofts amongst the treetops - a modest, modern treehouse.

Olive Grove House by Team Green Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Olive Grove House: Modest Energy Efficient Home Takes In the View

A modest, energy efficient home in New Zealand's spectacular wine country makes the most of sweeping views…

Arrowtown House by Kerr Ritchie Architecture (via Lunchbox Architect)

Modest Arrowtown House Mimics the Look of Nearby Sheds and Outhouses

In accordance with a local planning law, Arrowtown House is a series of small buildings similar to the the surrounding historic sheds.

Wakatipu Guest House by Team Green Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Wakatipu Guest House Offers a Simple and Relaxing Place to Retreat

Set in stunning surrounds Wakatipu Guest House is a two bedroom home that provides comfortable accommodation for up to eight people.

McKenzie House by AtelierWorkshop (via Lunchbox Architect)

Serene McKenzie House is Nestled in the Middle of an Apple Orchard

McKenzie House uses the same 4x3 metre grid of the surrounding Apple Orchard to ensure it feels harmonious and connected to its surrounds.

Pekapeka Holiday House by Parsonson Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

How Can You Build a Great Holiday House at an Affordable Price?

Pekapeka Holiday House explores how to build a holiday house of with strong architectural character at an affordable price.

Shoal Bay Bach by Parsonson Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Shoal Bay Bach Sits Comfortably Beside a Rugged Historic Woolshed

Shoal Bay Bach is an unpretentious home where you can kick off your shoes and not worry about walking sand through the house.

Sandhills Road House by Fearon Hay Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Sandhills Road House is a Stylish Interpretation of Sheds and a Tarpaulin

Sandhills Road House draws on the most basic and humble rural sights to create a stunning contemporary beach bach.

Under Pohutukawa House by Herbst Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Under Pohutukawa House: A Poetic Solution to a Challenging Site

On a site covered in mature trees, Under Pohutukawa House is designed to represent the stumps of trees removed for construction.

Screened by Pohutukawa House by Architecture Bureau (via Lunchbox Architect)

Screened by Pohutukawa House is Designed for Laid-Back Holiday Living

A cleverly designed holiday home enjoys beach views and opens directly to the garden but is screened by a mature Pohutukawa tree.

The Pohutukawa House Matthew Gribben Architecture by Matthew Gribben Architecture (via Lunchbox Architect)

The Pohutukawa House Twists and Contorts to Fit Between Existing Trees

The Pohutukawa House stands at the coastal foreshore of a wild beach on a site almost overgrown with mature Pohutukawa trees.

Shallard House by Lat Forty Five (via Lunchbox Architect)

Shallard House Features a Living Area Suspended Above the Ground

A piece of engineering ingenuity, Shallard House's living area is suspended like a bridge to capture lake views and maintain privacy.

Lake Hawea Courtyard House Glamuzina Paterson Architects by Glamuzina Paterson Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Lake Hawea Courtyard House Bunkers Against a Stunningly Rugged Landscape

A stunning, but rugged landscape influenced the design of Lake Hawea Courtyard House, giving the owners a space protected from the elements.

Prefab Warrander Studio by Makers of Architecture (via Lunchbox Architect)

Guess How Long it Took to Build the Prefab Warrander Studio…

This innovative prefabricated studio was the first of its kind in New Zealand, and what it lacks in size it makes up for in beauty!

Cora House by AtelierWorkshop (via Lunchbox Architect)

Prefabricated Cora House Carried Onto Site Leaving Environment Untouched

To preserve the bushy site, Cora House was built off-site and then carried onto site by hand - a remarkable feat of ingenuity and preservation.

Castle Rock Beach House by Herbst Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Castle Rock Beach House: In Search of the Perfect NZ Beach House

Herbst Architects continue their search for the perfect beach bach — Castle Rock Beach House is dramatic in spite of its simplicity…

OffSET Shed House by Irving Smith Jack Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

OffSET Shed House is an Unpretentious Beach Shack With a Lot of Cool

A series of shed-esque structures lap the coast in this simple, but thoughtful addition to a rural surf town in New Zealand.

Mountain Retreat by Fearon Hay Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Mountain Retreat: A Subtle Insertion in the Alpine Landscape

This superb Mountain Retreat utilises local stone to minimise impact to the external environment, but maximise the internal environment.

Waikanae House by Parsonson Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Waikanae House is a Modern Fibro Shack that Captures the Views

With panels of fibro coloured to match the surrounding area, this 'dune-hopper' home feels modern but relevant to its seaside locale…

Eyrie Houses by Cheshire Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Eyrie Houses: Two Houses Each is Barely Larger Than Four Sheets of Plywood

Eyrie Houses demonstrate just how decadent the holiday home has become. And how rewarding returning back to basics can be…

Kingswood House by MC Architecture Studio (via Lunchbox Architect)

Kingswood House Replaces a Converted Warehouse Destroyed in an Earthquake

This modern warehouse home reinterprets the existing home style and feeling of the original home with modern flair.

Waiatarua House by Monk Mackenzie Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Waiatarua House: A New House on a Steep, Challenging Site

One of the challenges at Waiatarua House was to giving the home a sense of modesty and poetry in the sensitive bush reserve.

Tent House by Irving Smith Jack Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Tent House: A Super-Insulated and Permanent Tent for Living

Tent House is designed to encourage freedom and protection from a hostile (but beautiful) landscape — like a permanent tent…

Kapiti Beach House by Geoff Fletcher Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Kapiti Beach House Will Eventually Grey Off to Blend into the Dunes

Sliding cedar shutters provide this otherwise glass box with shelter, privacy and a camouflage cloak — preparing it for every situation.

Brick Bay House by Glamuzina Paterson Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Batten and Board Beach Home is Designed Like an 'Elegant Shed'

Brick Bay House's L-shaped plan has a number of benefits - sheltering from winds, blocking road noise and embracing the ocean view.

Great Barrier House by Studio2 Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Great Barrier House's Skeletal Timber Frame Allows it to Open Up

A timber exoskeleton-like structure allows Great Barrier House to open onto its surrounds while lifting towards a hill to the west.

Tawharanui House by RTA Studio (via Lunchbox Architect)

A Beachside Site in the Family for Fifty Years is Transformed

Previously the site of some outgrown kit homes, three seperate but clustered buildings provide space for all generations of the family.

Field Way Bach by Parsonson Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

A Beachside Bach is Updated Without Losing its Sense of Place

With a fun colour scheme, humble materials and nooks to while away the day, Field Way Bach reminds us of back-to-basics beach holidays.

Studio 19 Bach by Strachan Group Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Beach House Designed and Built by a Group of Architecture Students

Small in both budget and footprint, but clever thinking and innovative solutions have produced a home which ticks all the boxes...

Nelson House by Kerr Ritchie Architecture (via Lunchbox Architect)

Warm NZ House Designed to Embrace the Sun and View of Tasman Bay

A warm new home for a young family wraps around a courtyard space to create a protected area for the kids to play and the family to enjoy the stunning ocean views.

Arruba by Bossley Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Fun Red Box Floats Daringly Over Original Home to Provide Extra Space

This extension continues a tradition of relaxed, colourful and small-scaled modifications which have been occurring for generations.

338 Worsleys by Young Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

This Relaxed Home Channels the Relaxed Vibe of a Traditional NZ Bach

This home is "designed to give the same carefree relaxing ambience as a bach - step in, kick off your shoes and grab a glass of wine."

K Valley House by Herbst Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Rusting Corrugated Iron on this Stunning Home is Like Rural Camouflage

The perfect retreat for a director and camera operator in the film industry, this home has no shortage of cinematic drama.

The Crossing by Studio2 Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Sculptural Hilltop Home and Writer's Studio the Perfect Entertainer

New Zealand home and writer's studio fuses the look of rural farm buildings and the dramatic local landscape into one sculptural form.

Gogo Bach by Herbst Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Two Uninspiring Cabins Bought for a Steal Become a Stylish Retreat

These two cabins have become something much grander than the typical granny flat or affordable beach shack they're usually used for...

Bonita Room by Irving Smith Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

This Addition Was Architect's Gift for His Daughter's 13th Birthday

A small addition and internal reconfiguration of a '60s home designed by a renowned New Zealand architect makes it fit for a family.

Box Lite Corrondella by BOX Living (via Lunchbox Architect)

'Your House Is Like a Box' Can No Longer Be Considered an Insult...

A young Wellington couple with a modest budget and small and challenging block chose a Box™ design-build for their first home.

MegaTower by Thom Craig Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Former Site of a Public Toilet Becomes a High Tech Tower for Living

In Christchurch, a city still recovering from a devastating series of earthquakes, many are rethinking how they use their public space.

The Whittaker Cube by Dravitzki Brown (via Lunchbox Architect)

A Smaller Home Allows for Immaculate Details and Rich Materials

If you want the look and feel of luxury at your home, it pays to think a bit smaller and pay attention to the details.

Bramasole by Herbst Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

This Home Is Grounded Into Its Site by Walls of Gabion Baskets

A home set in an expansive garden is divided and sheltered into quadrants by cross-shaped Gabion baskets, creating a variety of spaces.

Urban Cottage by CoLab Architecture (via Lunchbox Architect)

This Charming Home Is Inspired by Early Colonial Workers' Cottages

Dubbed the Urban Cottage, this modern take on a workers' cottage feels fresh and contemporary in-spite of its early colonial roots.

Back Country House by LTD Architectural Design Studio (via Lunchbox Architect)

A Home Built Around Connection With Each Other and the Landscape

With open-plan living and shared sleeping areas all opening onto the outdoors, this is a home to connect with nature and each other.

The Wairarapa Haybarn by First Light Studio (via Lunchbox Architect)

A Home for Retired Musicians Has a Concert Hall-inspired Living Space

A shared love of music inspired this accessible, environmental and acoustically-conscious home for a retired couple.

Tent House by Chris Tate Architecture (via Lunchbox Architect)

Tent House Challenges the Expectations of What a Weekend House Can Be

A retreat built by the architect and a group of architecture students is a hands-on, experimental process from design to construction.

Peka Peka House by Herriot Melhuish O’Neill Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

A Sheltered Courtyard Protects From This Exposed Location

At the top of the hill overlooking Peka Peka Beach, this location could be hostile, but this home has a few tricks up its sleeve...

Alpine Vistas by Intuitive Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

This New Zealand Home is Designed to Soak In Stunning Alpine Vistas

An L-shaped floor plan creates sheltered outdoor space, maximises the view and builds in flexibility to this beautiful home.

Lloyd Holiday House by AtelierWorkshop (via Lunchbox Architect)

Lloyd Holiday House: A New Beach Bach for a Multigenerational Family

This new shack takes better advantage of the views and has enough space to host this multi-generational family during the holiday season.

Matai House by Parsonson Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Matai House Updates a Poorly Planned Home from the 1900s

The owners of Matai House lived in this early 1900s home for several years before the alterations, so they knew what needed to change!

Island Bay House by WireDog Architecture (via Lunchbox Architect)

Compact Japanese-Inspired House Lives Large Thanks to a Wall of Glass

Thanks to a double-height space and an expansive openable wall of glass to capture the view, this home feels positively spacious.

Easterbrook House by Dorrington Atcheson Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Easterbrook House Takes Design Cues From the Forms of Tents and Sheds

Easterbrook House uses a humble set of materials and simple forms to ensure the landscape its rightful place as the highlight.

Timms Bach by Herbst Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Timms Bach: A Simple But Stunning Beach Shelter in New Zealand

A combination of materials in their raw state and a humble aesthetic make this New Zealand beach bach simply stunning.

Westmere Alteration by Studio2 Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Westmere Alteration Has An Unbelievable Connection to the Outdoors

Westmere Alteration merges inside and out with a contemporary aesthetic and an unbelievable connection to the outside plus upper level sea views…

Storm Cottage by Fearon Hay Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Storm Cottage: A Simple Black Rough Sawn Timber Box Looks to the Sea

A modest retreat provides shelter, warmth and comfort in the wild and isolated of the remote setting.

Bassett Road House by BOX Living (via Lunchbox Architect)

Bassett Road House: A Modular House With a Touch of Timber

A modular home constructed of engineered timber (instead of steel) is the perfect fit for a steel slope in New Zealand's seismic zone.

O'Sullivan Family Home by Bull O'Sullivan Architecture (via Lunchbox Architect)

O'Sullivan Family Home is a Finely Crafted Home on a Meagre Budget

With the help of friends and neighbours this beautifully crafted home was realised on a budget closer to a caravan than a family home.

House for Five by RTA Studio (via Lunchbox Architect)

House for Five is How You Design a New House in a Heritage Area

House for Five is a home designed by an architect for his family in an area controlled by strict planning controls. See what he did…

S House by Glamuzina Paterson Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

S_House is a Home Between Two Gardens, But Not in the Traditional Way

S_House divides a long thin lot into two gardens. Unlike a conventional home, S_House embraces both front and rear gardens.

Westmere Park Avenue by Dorrington Atcheson Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Westmere Park Avenue is a Modest Extension with a Huge Impact

A new compact living pavilion defies its size thanks to plenty of glass and sliding doors — effortlessly connecting home and garden.

Norrish House by Herbst Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Norrish House is Arranged Around a Courtyard for Shelter

New Zealand's notoriously changeable weather is dealt with at Norrish House by arranging rooms around a sheltering courtyard.

Stradwick House by Space Division (via Lunchbox Architect)

Architect Turns this Old Two-Car Garage Into Beautiful Family Home

Built on top of an existing brick double garage, Stradwick House feels more spacious thanks to double height spaces and large windows.

Studio 19 Community Housing by Strachan Group Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Architecture Students Also Design and Build Two Community Houses

Studio 19 are at it again, designing two stunning community houses for a not-for-profit organisation in New Zealand.

Queen Street Apartment by Dorrington Atcheson Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

From Painting Storage for a Gallery to a City Centre Family Home

Renovating an apartment is a challenge because you're confined to the existing envelope. What if it's also a heritage building?

Elizabeth Street by Dorrington Atcheson Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

A Modern Home Designed With Deference to Heritage Suburb

This double storey home is designed to look like a single storey home so it fits into its heritage neighbourhood.