With a deep connection to the landscape of Whangamata, New Zealand, the London-based owners of PRW House enlisted New Zealand-based IDEA Studio industrial designer Kane Lochhead and Byron Bay-based designers SON Studio to create a holiday home that balances connection and solitude within its coastal surroundings. Having spent years holidaying in the region, they were captivated by the dunes and native coastal grasses of the Coromandel Peninsula. Here, they envisioned a home to gather with family and friends during the holiday season.
PRW House rises from the sandy dune, oriented towards the ocean. Anchored by a concrete base forming the ground floor, the structure is topped with a slatted timber volume containing individual living spaces for each family member.
“The home’s materiality directly responds to the harsh coastal environment,” SON Studio founder Scott Jackson explains. Clad entirely in custom vertical shiplap timber panels from Hermpac, the facade was chosen for its durability, resilience, and ability to reflect the natural tones of the beachside landscape. “Rather than resisting weathering, the timber was selected to age gracefully,” Jackson adds. This aligns with SON Studio’s philosophy that “beauty need not rely on perpetual newness but can emerge through the subtle patina of age.”
Today, the facade reveals cracks and marks that celebrate its evolving narrative. “These details deepen the building’s connection to its place and the people who experience it,” Jackson notes, underscoring the home’s harmonious relationship with its environment.
Timber features throughout the interior and exterior, chosen for its durability and ability to age gracefully over time.
Inside, the design takes a family-friendly approach to materiality. Downstairs, robust, tactile finishes were chosen for their durability and ability to withstand daily use, while upstairs, SON Studio introduced a more refined palette to reflect the quieter, more intimate living spaces the clients envisioned.
At the heart of the home is an open-air courtyard, which Jackson describes as “a threshold and a sanctuary, bridging the private quarters to the west with the communal spaces to the east.” This central feature draws natural light deep into the interior, enhancing its connection to the outdoors.
Acknowledging the Whangamata region’s seasonal population shifts, PRW House was designed with flexibility in mind. IDEA Studio industrial designer Kane Lochhead designed and implemented a high level of mechanical adaptability that allows the home to welcome large gatherings of family and friends during peak holiday seasons while remaining secure and dormant when unoccupied.
The blocky form of PRW House is more than a contemporary design statement—it enabled IDEA studio to integrate a series of operable systems into the exterior. Hinged timber slat screens along the deck edge open to ocean views while providing privacy and shading for the interiors. By cladding these screens in timber, the studio maintained a consistent material palette across the facade while offering varying levels of enclosure—particularly valuable during periods when the home is unoccupied.
Another standout feature is the custom-engineered roof, designed to open and close, adapting the home to changing weather conditions throughout the year. “It enables infinite modulation of the living space’s connection to the sky and elements,” Lochhead explains. These operable elements allow the architecture to dynamically respond to the peninsula’s shifting environmental and social rhythms.
On the ground floor, pivoting privacy screens provide further adaptability, protecting large expanses of glazing while supporting flexible spatial configurations. These mechanical features reflect the home’s dual purpose: a vibrant gathering space during summer and a secure retreat during quieter winter months. “They transform the home’s relationship with its surroundings, adapting to seasonal rhythms,” Jackson says.
A double-height volume hosts a suspended staircase that serves as both vertical circulation and a sculptural element.
The entry is marked by a large timber pivot door that sits within the predominantly concrete volume of the ground floor.
At the heart of the home is an open-air courtyard, which Jackson describes as “a threshold and a sanctuary, bridging the private quarters to the west with the communal spaces to the east.”
Various materials that can patina over time were chosen so that they can become a part of the building’s evolving narrative.
The external facade is entirely clad in custom vertical shiplap timber panels from Hermpac, reflecting the natural tones of the beachside landscape.
