Beachhead House #1

East Coast, Auckland

Project: Residential

The project reimagines an existing concrete bunker, transforming its robust, utilitarian structure into a light-filled dwelling that embraces the surrounding dune landscape. Within the solidity of the original concrete enclosure, a delicate, glass-walled house is inserted, establishing a dialogue between the permanence and weight of the existing structure and the openness and transparency of the new architecture.

Windows within windows create layers of transparency, reflection and framed views, blurring the boundaries between interior and exterior. Internally, soft curtain dividers replace conventional walls, allowing spaces to expand, contract and overlap, offering privacy without compromising the openness of the plan. A continuous, flat pressed-metal ceiling provides a refined, understated plane, bringing a sense of cohesion to the interior while contrasting with the raw texture of the existing concrete.

The house is conceived as an open, permeable retreat, intimately connected to the shifting light, grasses and undulating dunes that surround it. The architecture seeks to minimise the distinction between dwelling and landscape, creating an experience of living within the dunes rather than simply looking out towards them.