A Balancing Act – Anzac Bay House by Vaughn McQuarrie Architects

Imagined as part boatshed, part cathedral, Anzac Bay House addresses its remote coastal condition through referencing the utilitarian and the ethereal. Vaughn McQuarrie combines a sense of drama through scale and proportion and injects warmth through materiality to create a harmonising balance.

Nestled into the hillside of its coastal locale, Anzac Bay House is anchored to its site and approached in what resembles a laneway condition from the rear, engaging with an existing stone wall. Combining the boat shed and cathedral vernaculars, the resulting form is rooted in its context, more akin to the simple vaulted forms found in the area but with embedded meaning and intent. The combination of the utilitarian and the ethereal offers a unique interpretation of the resulting architecture and its purpose. Vaughn McQuarrie creates a relatable element of theatre within the home, where proportion and scale offer dramatic gestures and the warmth of the finishing materiality offers an element of the familiar. The result is one of an interesting balance, where scale and texture balance each other out harmoniously.

Nestled into the hillside of its coastal locale, Anzac Bay House is anchored to its site and approached in what resembles a laneway condition from the rear, engaging with an existing stone wall.

Centring around a principle gathering high-ceilinged space, the cathedral reference is a nod to the traditional town planning of cities and towns, where the building of worship was always placed in the centre and commerce and industry then took place outward, in a radial fashion. Similarly, the exposed timber beam of the vaulted ceiling space encases a reflective and gathering space, connected and open to the landscape beyond. Uninterrupted at the lower level, two mezzanine levels are inserted at either end, elevating the retreat spaces and creating a sense of hierarchy. The central helical stair is as sculptural as it is functional and leads the eye upward. From this main building, smaller single-storey structures offer guest spaces while also being physically and geographically detached from the main.

Built from Litecrete precast concrete panels (which offer increased thermal performance), the main form is flanked by monumental and textural solid elements. The full-height glazing fills in these openings and both visually and physically connects the interior with the site and to the views beyond. Designed and clad to feel relaxed and embody the essence of a traditional New Zealand bach, Anzac Bay House is an elevated version of the traditional occasional home. Its heightened detailing and added elements of convenience mean comfort is optimised, not compromised. And it is through the materiality and breakdown of scale internally that the resulting architecture is connected to its location.

Vaughn McQuarrie combines a sense of drama through scale and proportion and injects warmth through materiality to create a harmonising balance.

Anzac Bay House feels appropriate for its setting, yet luxurious and grand due to its generous proportions. Vaughn McQuarrie achieved small feat in combining the comfort and familiarity of the expected with an exaggerated sense of purpose and presence on site, while still ensuring the overall form sits comfortably in its context.

Anzac Bay House feels appropriate for its setting, yet luxurious and grand due to its generous proportions.