Seascape Retreat is located within a small cove on the northern shore of two Miocene Shield volcanoes in the Seascape Banks Peninsula on the east cost of the South Island of New Zealand. Designed by Pattersons Associates, the small oceanfront cabin is built using locally quarried stone, cast in place concrete floors and ceilings and has a thick roof covered in the surrounding vegetation which makes it all but disappear into its surrounding volcanic mountainside.
The thick roof is also designed to withstand any falling debris, protecting the glazings below that offer the interior views of both the bay and the Rocky Spires.
Seascape Cabin’s remote location meant that Pattersons Associates needed to design it to be 100% sustainable in both water collection and waste-water treatment.
There is also a reforestation and re-vegetation program designed around the cabin’s location.
Locally quarried stone walls interlock with the glass walls that frame a ¾ view of the nearby cove rock formation.
The glazings are double glazed low 3-glass framed with storm and shatter proof steel mullions featuring earthquake resistant sliding heads.
The glass walls are also storefront design, sitting proud of the floor and ceiling, hiding the connecting structure from the interior view.
The storefront glass design offers the cabin a sense of floating as though there are no connections to the land and sea below.
This sense of connection to the surrounding topography is enhanced by the locally quarried rock being highlighted not only on the facade but on the interior walls as well.
Seascape Cabin consists of only 3 rooms – a lobby or mudroom, a social zone complete with bedroom and a bathroom, the concrete ceiling in the main room is covered in a cladding of macrocarpa wood with linear lights embedded in the wood like rays of sunlight.
The bathroom showcases its rock and concrete structure, using its architectural elements as its decor, void of windows, the bathroom is lit by a skylight above the tub and by a door that connects the room with the outdoors.
The outdoor zone is as much a part of the social zone as is the main room inside.
The terrace is sheltered by the roof overhang and heated by a fireplace and is a gorgeous place to enjoy the oceanic views.
On a warm sunny day, the green roof also offers a place to relax and enjoy the remote location.
When the weather is not co-operative, a bubble chair is suspended in the perfect location within the main room.
A large wood burning fireplace keeps the cabin warm on those colder days.
Pattersons Associates.
Photography © Simon Devitt.
While Seascape cabin is a small and cozy sustainable getaway designed for intimate honeymoon getaways, a remote off the grid waterside home can also be large and filled with all the amenities of modern living thanks to the major advances in geothermal, photovoltaic and other sustainable systems.
