Island Retreat / Fearon Hay Architects

Island Retreat designed by Fearon Hay Architects in Waiheke Island, was developed to juxtapose the rawness of the surrounding natural environment to the soft and warm interior. A vacation home located in Waiheke Island, New Zealand, is proof of how contrasts can create harmony and elegance. Glass and cement. A warm living room overlooking a wild horizon. A structure that protects exposed simultaneously. Isolated and self-sufficient. And destined for a family but thought like a camp.

Architects: Fearon Hay Architects
Location: Waiheke Island, New Zealand
Interiors: Penny Hay
Photographs: Patrick Reynolds

An arrangement of freestanding structures around a sheltered central courtyard rests in a saddle above Matiatia Bay. The natural undulations of the saddle have been subtly emphasized to form a natural setting for three roofed structures and freestanding raised pool. Inspiration for the site came from a study of lightweight, canopy- like structures, tensioned to the ground plane. Draped roof planes are tensioned to the surrounding landscape over interior and exterior spaces.