Tairua Medium Density | Rethinking the Kiwi Bach
Challenging the Coastal Housing Norm
This ambitious project arrives at a pivotal moment — a time when traditional ideas about housing typologies are being reimagined across New Zealand. Nowhere is this shift more culturally loaded than at the coast, where the humble bach has long been a fixture of summer life.
But today's “bach” often bears little resemblance to its origins. Oversized, stand-alone holiday homes have replaced the classic small summer escape — often doubling as retirement dwellings or investment properties.
Why shouldn’t the medium-density challenge extend to the seaside too?
A Bold New Typology on the Coast
Perched on a hillside in Tairua, overlooking the ocean and estuary, this three-storey semi-detached home embraces a different coastal future. It gives the owner a fresh interpretation of the bach — one that’s compact, vertical, and financially smart, thanks to a second attached dwelling.
The project challenges our assumptions around density and holiday living. It’s not just a beach house — it’s a future-ready model for how we can live well, build sustainably, and rethink our relationship to land, space, and cost.
A Stacked Form, Designed for Views and Sun
The architectural concept was simple but striking: a series of offset boxes, stacked vertically to create rhythm and opportunity.
Living spaces were intentionally placed on the upper levels to maximise solar gain and capture the sweeping views of Tairua Estuary and the Pacific beyond.
Offset volumes allowed the building to balance visually and spatially, reducing bulk while enhancing internal layout flexibility.
The verticality of the form also reduced site impact — creating density without sprawl.
Aspirational, Adaptable, and Climate-Aligned
This design isn’t just a smart investment — it’s a statement about the evolution of place. It embraces compact living, celebrates the coastal landscape, and introduces a new kind of medium-density thinking to the seaside.
By pushing back on the outdated bach archetype, it opens the door to more connected, sustainable, and adaptable holiday housing for future generations.
