Hong Kong News

Nonpartisan, Noncommercial, unconstrained.
Friday, Mar 29, 2024

To Design a Cabin in New Zealand, Its Architect Looked to the Sky

To Design a Cabin in New Zealand, Its Architect Looked to the Sky

Birds fluttering overhead gave Barry Connor inspiration for the compact cabin, which is positioned for some of the most spectacular night-sky viewing in the world.

Skylarks have long been symbols of joy, their warbling birdsong a source of inspiration for countless great musical works and poems. But in creating a remote cabin on New Zealand’s South Island, architect Barry Connor wasn’t listening to their trills. Instead, he looked at the birds’ dance-like flight patterns to design a form that "nods to the skylark’s distinctive aerial display-with their angular, precise, and purposeful acrobatics," he says.



The initial brief from his clients, however, was much more grounded. "They requested a simple retreat with honest materials," he recalls. "They wanted to be able to watch the sunlight and shadows dancing along the Ben Ohau Range, and the skylarks frolic over the tussocks. It needed to be a place to literally soak up the landscape with a focus on effortless relaxation."



With its roughly 540-square-foot plan, the cabin nests discreetly in a dip in the land, hiding almost completely from the main road. Under a single roof that comes to a peak diagonally across the floor plan are two distinct areas: One containing the more open living spaces, and the other with a bedroom and bath. Connecting the two are an entrance hall that’s accessed via a carport.



Each area is arranged to capture different views: In the living space are floor-to-ceiling doors and windows that frame the Ben Ohau Range in the distance; to the right of the entrance are a bedroom and bathroom positioned for morning sun throughout the year, and a dramatic circular skylight frames a glimpse of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve-one of only eight dark sky reserves in the world. Of course, the entire spectacle can be seen by simply stepping outside.



The cabin sits atop a plinth of natural stone boulders that were saved during site excavation. Angular in form, the structure’s exterior is clad in a rough-sawn, dark-stained larch rainscreen that connects it to the surrounds.

"This was done intentionally to enable the home to be discreet and not become visual clutter within the landscape," reveals Connor. Small accents still add flair: The burnt-orange window frames and structural frames, which were requested specifically by the client, provide a vibrant pop of color and reference the lichen that can be found on nearby rocks.



In contrast to the dark exterior, the interior is warm and inviting, and black ribbing between the beech plywood panels reference skylark nests. The color of the plywood, meanwhile, references the tussock grasses that carpet the region.



Given the intricate, bespoke detailing on the project-such as all gutters and downpipes being contained within the 40-millimeter space behind the rainscreen-the biggest challenge was finding the right builder. J.M.Bint Construction, however, was able to bring the vision to life with precision.



"I love how discreet the building is within the site," says Connor. "You don’t quite know what it is due to its unusual shape. It’s only once you approach from the driveway that you get a sense that it is a dwelling."


Newsletter

Related Articles

Hong Kong News
0:00
0:00
Close
It's always the people with the dirty hands pointing their fingers
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Steve Jobs' Son Launches Venture Capital Firm With $200 Million For Cancer Treatments
Google reshuffles Assistant unit, lays off some staffers, to 'supercharge' products with A.I.
End of Viagra? FDA approved a gel against erectile dysfunction
UK sanctions Russians judges over dual British national Kara-Murza's trial
US restricts visa-free travel for Hungarian passport holders because of security concerns
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Political leader from South Africa, Julius Malema, led violent racist chants at a massive rally on Saturday
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
'I am not your servant': IndiGo crew member, passenger get into row over airline meal
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Spanish Citizenship Granted to Iranian chess player who removed hijab
US Senate Republican Mitch McConnell freezes up, leaves press conference
Speaker McCarthy says the United States House of Representatives is getting ready to impeach Joe Biden.
San Francisco car crash
This camera man is a genius
3D ad in front of Burj Khalifa
Next level gaming
BMW driver…
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Joe Biden admitted, in his own words, that he delivered what he promised in exchange for the $10 million bribe he received from the Ukraine Oil Company.
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
40,000 child slaves in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.
×