RESIDENTIAL · PAUANUI, NORTH ISLAND

Pauanui house

Located on the Pauanui waterways in the coromandel, this building uses pairs of stone clad fins and a zinc roof to delineate its strong linear form and modulation.

Located on the Pauanui Waterways in New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula, this contemporary canal-side retreat was designed as a weekend escape from city life for its Auckland-based owners. Seeking a contrast to their period-style urban home, the brief called for a light-filled, elemental structure—open to the landscape, anchored by natural materials.

PHOTOGRAPHER
Kallan MacLeod

MATERIALS
large glazing, local stone, flat zinc roof

Modern house with large glass doors and stone exterior, overlooking a marina with boats and mountains in the background, featuring an infinity pool on the patio.
Modern house with large glass doors and a swimming pool in the foreground surrounded by a concrete deck, under a blue sky.

The architecture intentionally contrasts the traditional pitched-roof homes nearby, standing as a modern counterpoint in form and materiality.

The result is a strongly linear, L-shaped pavilion composed of glass, stone and zinc. The house is articulated by pairs of stone-clad fins and a flat zinc roof, establishing rhythm and order while framing views of both the waterways to the east and a private internal courtyard to the west.

The see-through living pavilion opens out over a large swimming pool to the waterways on the east and back into a more sheltered and private landscaped courtyard to the west. Local stone cladding articulates the exterior sitting on a honed flagstone podium.

Modern house with large glass windows and sliding doors, situated along a waterfront with rocky and grassy borders, and a small white dock extending into the water.
Modern living room with large windows, stone fireplace, gray couches, and a black dining table with woven chairs.
A small white dock extends over a body of water, with a clear blue swimming pool adjacent to it, separated by a concrete edge.
Modern living room with large glass sliding doors, overlooking a waterway with boats and contemporary houses, featuring stone columns, a dining table with woven chairs, and decorative sculptures.

The elevated pool, sitting 2.5 metres above the canal, creates a visual illusion of swimming directly in the waterway.

Floor-to-ceiling glazing offers direct access to the outdoors and transforms the home into a stage for the ever-changing reflections and movements of water. Inside, high ceilings—reaching 3.5 metres—amplify the sense of space within the compact 250m² footprint.

With four guest bedrooms, a main suite and expansive living areas, this modern beach house balances openness and privacy, creating a refined and enduring retreat just steps from the ocean.

Modern living room with large glass windows and waterfront view, white sofas, black coffee tables, stone accent walls, ceiling fans, and natural light.

The external stone cladding continues into the interior and the flagstone flooring transitions seamlessly indoors as a polished surface, reinforcing the material continuity and grounding the home in its natural setting.

previous project : coatesville house

next project : matarangi house

A rustic barn-style building with green and pink exterior, open sliding doors revealing a modern interior with wood accents, seating area, and string lights, surrounded by trees and gravel pathway.
Modern house with glass walls on a grassy lawn, flanked by two large trees, in an overcast setting.