In Shelter and Quietude – The Gatehouse by Patterson Associates Architects and Sonja Hawkins Design

Arrowtown in New Zealand’s South Island offers a landscape as captivating as the region’s aptly named mountain range – The Remarkables – suggests. Set within the undulating terrain and with views to Coronet Peak and Millbrook Resort is The Gatehouse – a dynamic residence by architecture firm Patterson Associates Architects with interiors by Sonja Hawkins Design that rises to the exemplary topography whilst being sympathetic to the surrounding rural fabric.

Given The Gatehouse’s magnificent surrounds, the brief – to deliver a flexible home for family and guests – feels somewhat modest in comparison. Yet this clarity drove architect Andrew Patterson’s response and the resulting built form is defined by two barn-like structures. As he says, “Millbrook was originally a big station, so a farm vernacular is carefully prescribed as part of building here.” He adds, “we’ve employed a simple, gabled barn shape, which is endemic to the area.”

“Millbrook was originally a big station, so a farm vernacular is carefully prescribed as part of building here,” says Architect Andrew Patterson. He adds, “we’ve employed a simple, gabled barn shape, which is endemic to the area.”

This pair of gabled forms directly responds to the clients’ brief for a generous home that could be both intimate and spacious. As Andrew says, “our clients wanted to be able to host a melting pot of family, acquaintances, artists and friends – whether they were there or not – so the house’s configuration is about accommodating lots of different people indifferent stages of their lives; it can be two houses in one.” Sonja echoes this, saying, “it needed to feel comfortable for two but also have that flexibility and expandability for others.”

As The Gatehouse is a holiday home for a couple who resides in Auckland and, therefore, is not occupied full time, it was important that the backhouse could be used independently as guest accommodation throughout the year. Resultingly, the first and slightly smaller of the two structures sits on the street-facing edge of the site and houses bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen and living spaces as well as garaging and storage. Across a courtyard is the primary structure, which contains the main suite, additional bedrooms and a large open-plan kitchen, dining and living area. Thus, the two can be used separately or combined, and this pliability in how the house can be shaped is one of its most compelling outcomes.

As Andrew says, “our clients wanted to be able to host a melting pot of family, acquaintances, artists and friends – whether they were there or not – so the house’s configuration is about accommodating lots of different people indifferent stages of their lives; it can be two houses in one.”

Pleasingly, the volume between these two structures and the subsequent spatial sequence have both been addressed with the same level of ingenuity. The gateway house contains a portcullis – a historical architectural feature best described as a rising door or enclosed outdoor room typically found at the entries of castles or large rural estates. Located in the centre of the back house and with a glass-enclosed bridge above, it is conceived as part of the primary house and, as Andrew notes, “guests are surprised to discover it first leads to a secluded courtyard.” Not only is this con-temporary portcullis visually exciting, it also brings a heightened sense of protection and privacy to the courtyard and first, street-side house. “People can come and go to the main house without disturbing those in the gateway building and vice versa,” Andrew says.

This arrival sequence is terminated upon reaching the main house, where a sculptural timber staircase corkscrews in an upward-sweeping motion. The thick oak treads cantilever without a centre pole; “stairways to heaven should float,” Andrew comments. Sonja attests to its sculptural value, saying “it’s a work of art. When you look down the gateway, your focal point is this beautiful, floating spiral staircase through the glazed entry; it’s a real feature.

As Sonja Hawkins says, Andrew had “already considered that one would be a stone building and another timber,” and as such, her primary focus was to “ensure the two buildings remained connected.”

This strong visual link and the terracotta brick pathway underfoot are both important conduits between the front and back house, as is the internal materiality. As Sonja says, Andrew had “already considered that one would be a stone building and another timber,” and as such, her primary focus was to “ensure the two buildings remained connected.” She adds, “I didn’t want to treat them as separate houses; they needed to speak to each other.” The classicism and brawniness of Millbrook’s rural identity served as Sonja’s inspiration, guiding the material palette and enhancing connection with the landscape. Timber-panelled walls in contemporary hues offer a stately yet refined note; terracotta – “an ancient material that harks back to historic times” – brings warmth and interest; woollen textiles nod to the locale’s cooler climate; and a mix of contemporary Italian and Scandinavian furnishings, antiques and old-world pieces create a characterful and contextual blend.

Sonja and Andrew have intentionally designed a robust and hardworking home that makes way for an easy and calming experience enhanced by the natural landscape. This notion is illustrated beautifully in the primary living area, where a Poliform kitchen anchors the space. Designed for entertaining with multiple work zones – there is a Fisher & Paykel Induction Cooktop with Integrated Ventilation on the back bench with an Integrated Dishwasher below and a Combination Steam Oven within the island bench – and no overhead cupboards, it is a highly functional space that feels airy and generous. There is also a nifty breakfast bar linking the island and back benches, which, given the kitchen’s considered design and aspect to the outdoors, is a wonderful gravitational point for guests or an elevated spot for a solo morning coffee.

Framed within openings and complemented by the dwelling’s attuned aesthetic, these vistas of vibrant green fairways juxta-posed against rugged mountains seem to enliven the house from within, resulting in a true celebration of Arrowtown’s intensely changing seasons.

The hidden scullery is well-placed within the project’s overarching rationale for refinement. Located behind a timber sliding door and easily accessible from the kitchen’s primary work zone, it supports the under-stated atmosphere. Inside, a Fisher & Paykel Combination Microwave Oven, as well as a Refrigerator Freezer and Column Wine Cabinet are concealed behind custom cabinetry. As Sonja says, despite its discreet location, the scullery warrants the same level of detail and sophistication as the primary zone, and as such, the elevated materiality continues within, and the appliances are seamlessly integrated.

This prevailing simplicity and its skilled execution enhance the home’s connection with the natural environment. Generously considered out-door spaces – including a paved area with a built-in DCS Grill and a terrace featuring a large steel sculpture – provide ample opportunity from which to digest the landscape, and the views of the neighbouring Millbrook golf course – home of the New Zealand Open – are integral to the internal experience. Framed within openings and complemented by the dwelling’s attuned aesthetic, these vistas of vibrant green fairways juxta-posed against rugged mountains seem to enliven the house from within, resulting in a true celebration of Arrowtown’s intensely changing seasons.

All these meticulously conceived endeavours around material cohesion, landscape and contextual relevance have all been made in the pursuit of one thing: a place for family and friends to be together. The details are beautifully executed, the views perfectly captured, and there is much merit in this. Yet, at its very core, The Gatehouse is just as its name suggests, a dwelling that is “protected, quiet and all about people,” as Andrew describes – not only hitting but exceeding its seemingly humble brief.