We are delighted that Open + Shut, our Waiheke Island holiday home, is featured in the October/November 2026 issue of HOME magazine.
In addition, the house has won a Housing Award at the 2026 Auckland Architecture Awards from Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects, Auckland Branch. It was also a finalist for HOME of the Year 2026. Read the feature on HOME’s website.
A holiday home that opens and closes
Open + Shut is a coastal retreat that responds to its surroundings. Operable perforated screens slide open and closed across the façade. When the screens open, the house meets the landscape. When they close, the house gains privacy. As a result, the home adapts to changing light, privacy needs and the coastal climate. Instead of presenting one fixed face, the house changes with the weather and the hour.
Planned around a sheltered internal garden that cools the house
The plan is organised around a sheltered internal garden, which forms the heart of the home. The garden also works as a climate-modifying space. It promotes natural cross-ventilation and stack-effect airflow. In simple terms, warm air rises and leaves the building at height. As a result, cooler air is drawn in at lower levels, and the house cools naturally. You can see more of how the plan works below and on the Open + Shut project page.
The brief: a home for two people or thirty
The brief for Open + Shut was simple to state and harder to design. The clients wanted a house that works as easily for two people as for thirty. This is often the way of living at a holiday home. Quiet weekends give way to full family gatherings. However, many holiday homes suit only one of these. We therefore planned a house that feels comfortable and generous at either extreme.
Floor Plan
Recognised by our peers and the press
The Housing Award and the HOME feature both recognise the thinking behind the house. However, the result belongs to a wider team. We are grateful to our clients, our builder and our consultants, whose work made Open + Shut possible.
Planning a holiday home of your own?
We design holiday homes on Waiheke Island, in the Coromandel, at Mount Maunganui and beyond. Each one responds to its site, its climate and the way a family wants to live. Our projects typically range from $500,000 to $10 million. If you are planning a holiday home, we would love to talk about what is possible. Get in touch to start the conversation, or read about our residential architect services.
