A good look all round

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This holiday home has all angles covered, whichever way you look at it

An exterior view of the home, windows and architecture, cottage, estate, facade, farmhouse, grass, home, house, landscape, lawn, plant, property, real estate, residential area, roof, siding, sky, suburb, tree, villa, yard — An exterior view of the home, windows and doors, roofing, cladding.

An exterior view of the home, decking, roofing, architecture, cottage, estate, facade, home, house, property, real estate, residential area, sky, villa, window

A view of the kitchen area, tiled floors, architecture, estate, home, house, interior design, property, real estate, white, gray

A view of the living area, tiled floors, architecture, ceiling, floor, home, house, interior design, living room, real estate, room, white

A view of the living area, tiled floors, architecture, ceiling, daylighting, estate, home, house, interior design, living room, property, real estate, table, window, gray, brown

An exterior view of the patio area. - architecture, estate, home, house, outdoor structure, property, real estate, black

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Sweeping ocean views would top the list for most people, when specifying their dream holiday home at the beach. In the real world, views such as these are harder to come by, especially if the property is not right on the beachfront.

The villa on these pages is at the top of a rise, one section back from the coastline, and thanks to a thoughtful design, it will retain its extensive sea views, even when a dwelling is eventually built on the sloping property in front.

Designed by David Page of Architecture Page Henderson, Te Kaha Villa is composed of three units that step down the site, connected by internal walkways. Each of these pavilions is framed by a cedar weatherboard wall and is orientated so the house radiates out like a fan to the view.

"The owners wanted to make the most of the views and the sun, while retaining some privacy," says the project's graduate architect, Greg Hughes. "So this house has two faces one that looks out to sea, and another that frames a shady retreat, giving shelter from coastal breezes."

As the owners intended to rent out the home, the brief also specified four bedrooms that could be configured in several ways, to suit the needs of their guests. Located in a two-storey unit that includes the entrance, all the bedrooms have sliding doors across their full width, and open onto decks with views of the coast.

"The degree of enclosure and volume of space differs in each unit," says Hughes. "The villa opens up to guests and feels lighter and brighter as they move from the formal, private spaces, to the informal, entertaining areas."

The kitchen and casual dining area is in the second unit, between two walkways. Again, glass sliding doors along the length of the room take full advantage of the views. On the opposite wall, a wide bifold window doubles as a servery to the entertaining area on the deck outside.

The living and dining room area is in the third unit, at the far end of the house. This room opens out to sea views on two sides via full-width glass doors, which pull back from a red joinery post on the outside corner. Broad eaves extend over the seaward decks, and shelter the space from the sun. The third wall of the living unit opens onto the outdoor entertaining area.

"We wanted to produce a house that is in harmony with its environment," Hughes says. "Simple shapes and materials, along with modest roof lines, helped achieve this."

"An apt end point to a long journey and the start of a relaxed holiday," said the New Zealand Institute of Architects, when presenting Architecture Page Henderson with an award for the project.