Palm Beach House / Vaughn McQuarrie

Palm Beach House / Vaughn McQuarrie - Table, Chair, Deck, Patio
© Simon Devitt
Auckland, New Zealand

Palm Beach House / Vaughn McQuarrie - Facade, Beam, ColumnPalm Beach House / Vaughn McQuarrie - Table, Chair, Beam, WindowsPalm Beach House / Vaughn McQuarrie - ArchPalm Beach House / Vaughn McQuarrie - Table, Windows, Countertop, Chair, BeamPalm Beach House / Vaughn McQuarrie - More Images+ 10

Palm Beach House / Vaughn McQuarrie - Windows, Handrail
© Simon Devitt

Text description provided by the architects. The house is located on a reasonably steep bush covered site a few hundred meters up a valley from the golden sands of Palm Beach Waiheke Island.

Palm Beach House / Vaughn McQuarrie - Glass, Chair, Deck, Forest
© Simon Devitt

Sitting under a large pohutukawa tree the house negotiates the site with a series of suspended internal and external spaces connected by external bridges and stairs. The owners of this home have to step outside in order to circulate from room to room. Due to difficult access and the wish to minimize waste, the design was based around factory sheet sizes which could be carried by hand and directly fixed in place without the need for cutting. Glue laminated timber was used extensively in the framing, once again carried in by hand and pieced together on site.

Palm Beach House / Vaughn McQuarrie - Facade, Windows, Handrail
© Simon Devitt

A draw bridge allows the house to disengage itself from the ground,  giving the occupants a sense of  privacy and the feeling of being on a platform up in the trees.

Palm Beach House / Vaughn McQuarrie - Image 15 of 15
South Elevation

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Cite: "Palm Beach House / Vaughn McQuarrie" 05 Sep 2013. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/424189/palm-beach-house-vaughn-mcquarrie> ISSN 0719-8884

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