Our clients for this project initially brought Greenway Studio on board to form an overall site plan that transformed their grassy property into a small scale permaculture farm with the intention to live off the land in a sustainably designed cliffside home. A comprehensive concept was completed and approved in the midst of the first Covid lockdown. As the loss in revenue during this period heavily impacted the available finances, a decision was made to shift the focus from the primary dwelling and focus on a high end camping facility that would allow the opportunity to spend some time enjoying the property without the huge expense of a house build.
A large grass clearing situated in the central part of this considerable section seemed the obvious choice, but after some careful consideration it was agreed that positioning this facility farther from the primary dwelling would allow the camp site to operate autonomously and become a revenue source through holiday rentals.
Natural clearings spotted amongst the chosen area of native forest inspired the concept for a ‘decentralised home’ and allowed us to create private spaces nestled between mature trees. In this magical space we were able to place a master bedroom tent with a treehouse ensuite, secondary accommodation tent, a bathroom annex and laundry and the central entertaining space. All of these spaces are beautifully stitched together by winding boardwalks and gentle platform steps that navigate through the dappled light of the established forest.
The central entertaining space is a large architectural glasshouse with covered terraces on the north and south sides. The glasshouse will be equipped with a large U-shaped kitchen, central dining table and a lounge that’s formed around a small wood burner. The north terrace will be home to an outdoor kitchen with easy access to raised herb and vegetable gardens spotted with overhead deciduous fruit trees which form a passive climate control.
Elevation on the south terrace makes this area the perfect spot to retreat from the heat. As you are situated amongst the forest canopy you’ll enjoy the song of native tui, kereru, piwkawaka and the small native owl, ruru.