Under Pohutukawa House by Herbst Architects
Life's a Beach in the Forest
Should one live by the sea or in the forest? The owners of this house in New Zealand are fortunate enough to enjoy the best of both worlds, living by the beach in a strip of forest with mature Pohutukawa trees. Their house is designed by Herbst Architects to blend into this idyllic location and to open up the internal living spaces to the glorious nature outside.
The house is built almost entirely of dark wood and glass. The vast glass roof of the verandah is supported by tree-like structures made of wood and steel, echoing the forest outside. The glass walls at the front of the house slide open entirely, bringing nature into the living room inside. The bedrooms and garage are housed in a less exposed structure clad in rough hewn planks of wood, again reflecting the forest location.
This is a house where you can truly live in harmony with nature: relaxing in the living area with sunlight filtering in through the branches, the warmth of the timber floor against your bare feet with sounds of cicadas competing against the distant crashing waves. Country living surely doesn't get any better than this.
Links
http://herbstarchitects.co.nz/projects/under-pohutukawa
Shop the Style
Product Inspiration
Leather and fabrics look great with wood, just look at the simple yet inviting Koila armchair from Alki and the stylishly sculptural Mathilda chair from Moroso.
Large spaces with high ceilings call for a simple, sculptural pendant such as the Agatha from LZF or the Lampscapes from Frederik Roije.
Bring the nature inside with interesting shelving and storage solutions such as the forest-like Longlegs shelves and the cork-topped Treasure Table, both by Frederik Roije.
Also in Architecture
Permanent Camping 2 by Casey Brown Architecture
Campers and glampers might disagree on what is luxury and what is essential, but they share a common desire to be as close to nature as possible. Casey Brown Architecture have created a self-contained tiny house which does this beautifully.
Villa Fifty-Fifty by Studioninedots
It is many people's dream to live amongst nature, even if it is within a city. Studioninedots, an architectural practice from Amsterdam, was faced with just such a request.
SALA Samui Chaweng Beach Resort by Onion
The designers at Bangkok-based Onion take inspiration from the mature tropical trees on the site of SALA Samui Chaweng Beach Resort's sister property to create a tranquil oasis a world away from the hustle and bustle of the beach.