Woven Into the Natural – Daniels Reef Lookout by Matter

Completing the circle of dream to reality, the owner of Daniels Reef Lookout translates an earlier vision of owning and living on the land into the resulting home. Immortalising a 35-year-old vision through a statement of permanence, Matter instils an innate connection to place and treated the sloping site as a challenge instead of an obstruction.

Acutely familiar with the area of Leigh in Auckland, the owner of Daniels Reef Lookout had long wanted to live in the location. Providing sightlines out over the sea well-surfed by the owner over the years, the expansive and long spanning viewpoints become an anchoring device for the residence. Although the form is nestled within an expansive and irregularly shaped site – a site that slopes unforgivingly toward the south with a meandering stream at its core – it defies the natural elements and expresses a steady connection to its surroundings.

Providing sightlines out over the sea well-surfed by the owner over the years, the expansive and long spanning viewpoints become an anchoring device for the residence.

The site, characterised by alternating layers of siltstone and volcanic shattered sandstone, weaves gracefully around rocky ridges that create a naturally uneven terrain. As well as the Pōhutukawa trees that peak out over the cliff, there were several obstacles to overcome along the way. As a result, the approach and journey to enter the home takes on sense of adventure, with opportunity for discovery and a connection to the landscape embedded into the process. The residence stretches divergently across the site, hugging the site tightly through a low-slung and stepped proposal.

Thoughtfully designed entry points, both formal and informal, and a transparent envelope that wraps the exterior intentionally welcome guests, bringing an effortless directed path from the north to the east. As a core experience of the home, carefully curated views frame glimpses of the surroundings, whilst shutters allow for solar control and determent of unwanted heat. Drawing much of the activity outside from the shared and open living area space, a generous deck extends out beyond the building edge to dissolve the threshold between inside and out. Integrating the carefully selected flora to soften the edges of the building and allowing a natural transition into the land was key.

Although the form is nestled within an expansive and irregularly shaped site – a site that slopes unforgivingly toward the south with a meandering stream at its core – it defies the natural elements and expresses a steady connection to its surroundings.

Harnessing a connection to place and a love of the ocean, Daniels Reef Lookout becomes a realised love letter to the natural environment. Enhancing the immersion within the location and celebrating the cliff faces, reef and naturally occurring native greenery, Matter ensures an enduring legacy is present.