The client brief was short and simple, while allowing plenty of room for interpretation: They wanted the house with feeling of ‘barefoot luxury’. A further challenge was to create an immediate sense of home for expatriate clients without relying on a lifetime of accumulated art, furniture and objects.

The openness suggested by the brief needed to be balanced against the realities of a harsh, wind-driven and salt-laden coastal climate. Our response was a house that draws directly from the raw material of the site, grounding the project in its New Zealand context. Two rammed-earth pavilions emerge from the landscape, offset in plan and section to reconcile sun path and sea view. Courtyards within each pavilion create distinct atmospheres, generating a house that is both sheltered from and continuous with the broader coastal environment. Through this approach, landscape is used to both embrace and recede from its surroundings, achieving a sense of barefoot luxury.

The material and detailing strategy of the Double Courtyard House is a careful play of opposites. On approach, the crisp silhouette appears taut and deceptively simple. The intersecting pavilions combine hip and flat roof forms, hinting at contrasting qualities within. This dialogue is resolved where the pavilions meet: thick roof edges meet thin, and solid walls receive operable elements. That precision is gently softened through the controlled abrasion of key materials – the loose ramming of earth, sandblasted concrete and bead-blasted steel create surfaces that feel both composed and relaxed. Custom pulls, furniture and screens reinforce a tactile and intuitive interior experience.

Innovation is expressed through the integration of interiors and landscape. The courtyard strategy creates sheltered microclimates that support native planting and strengthen biophilic connections.
Passive environmental strategies including cross-ventilation, operable screens, and generous eaves enhance comfort while reducing energy demand. Roof catchment, on-site stormwater management, and wastewater treatment protect the surrounding coastal ecosystem.
Material and structural decisions, from rammed earth construction to timber framing, combine durability, adaptability, and tactile richness, demonstrating a considered response to site, climate, and ecological regeneration.

Roberts Gray Architects
Nick Roberts
Elspeth Gray
Jimmy Gray

Image 1 – Entrance Courtyard
Image 2 – House within the landscape
Image 3 – Intimate dining setting
Image 4 – Dappled light at the entry
Image 5 – Coastal outdoor living
Image 6 – Interior courtyard
Image 7 – Quiet bedroom retreat
Image 8 – Bathroom
Image 9 – Warm kitchen interior
Image 10 – Soft reflected light

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