Fine like wine

Studio Patterson Associates designed Local Rock House, a Summer residence in Waiheke Island, New Zealand, which is famous for its prized vineyards, fruit of the particular geological conformation of the territory.

We’re on a steep escarpment overlooking a sandy white beach trimmed with trees, on the northern coast of Waiheke Island.

The building is made of the same secret ingredient responsible for the local wine: the rocks rich in pyrite that give the "Waiheke" wine its unique flavor and the vineyard terraces visual continuity.

Designed like a bridge, the rocky mass of the villa opens up on two sides: on the east towards the beach and on the west towards an area that is softly flooded by the afternoon sun.

The primary living area is thus divided between the terrace with pool, on the slope that descends towards the sea, and a grotto-like courtyard on the west side, that the owners use as an outdoor cinema.

The bedrooms above are like lookouts guarding the rock walls, protected by vertical louvers in a play on materials and scale. And here our visit to Local Rock House terminates, in these rooms surrounded by trees, overlooking the sea and beach below.

Photos via pattersons.com