An Immersed Retreat – Heron House by Pac Studio
Expanding on the fundamental foundations of a traditional New Zealand ‘bach’, Heron House is a place of retreat and reset for its global owners. Pac Studio draws on simplicity and a sense of removal to conjure a home of slightness and necessity, tucked amongst established surrounds.
Nestled within the backyard of a close friend, Heron House emerges as a secondary habitable structure in Sandringham, Auckland. Home to a filmmaker and their partner, the home needed to accommodate the short time spend in Auckland in the calendar year, with the majority of their time spent in Europe. As a result, the approach takes inspiration from the traditional New Zealand ‘bach’ vernacular rather than a permanent home and taps into ideas of retreat and escape. By shifting the focus away from a traditional home and the needs of the everyday, Heron House becomes more experimental and playful in its resolve. Pac Studio proposes a series of spaces that allow togetherness and socialising, while also allowing for recharge as needed.
Being the home that the owners would spend the least amount of time in per year, ideas underpinning a holiday home inspired the form, size and approach to materiality. There is an intentional simplicity and stripping of any semblance of ornateness. Ply lining boards add a welcomed warmth to the space, while plasterboard is used sparingly as a balance in texture and tone. Built by New Wave Construction together with landscape design by Claire Mahoney Studio, Heron House feels as though it has been in place for many years. Sharing the allotment with friends, a level of sensitivity was needed in how the new structure engaged and interacted with the existing, ensuring the new felt intentional and distinctly its own.
Surrounded by established trees, the structure sits slightly unexpectedly within the garden, whilst its nod to a traditional shed or outbuilding adds a touch of the familiar. The structure’s asymmetrical roofline tilts upward on one side and, upon approach, gives a hint at what lies within. Internally, an open living area extends the double height space, increasing the sense of scale and reflecting the shared nature of the space. As the spaces become more passive, they become smaller with a greater sense of intimacy. Externally, the intent was for the structure to feel recessive and allow the garden to remain the hero.
Through its re-use and sensitively integrated approach, Heron House becomes an example of adaptation within the residential environment, as Pac Studio creates a calm ‘sometimes’ home for its nomadic clients.
