Two families saw a chance to build new memories on an old bach site in Golden Bay, with this outstanding holiday home from Karsten Architectural Design and Golden Bay Builders.

WORDS Kathy Catton PHOTOGRAPHY David Chadwick and Chocolate Dog Photography

Drive over Takaka Hill at the top of the South Island, and you’ll soon arrive in the paradise that is Golden Bay. For many New Zealanders, this unspoilt and picturesque bay renowned for its golden sandy beaches, clear waters and relaxed lifestyle is the stuff of long and lazy summer holidays.

For one extended family, it’s a holiday destination that’s been a permanent fixture for over 30 years. “We have a long connection with Golden Bay,” says the homeowner. “Growing up, our grandparents had a bach at Rangihaeata, and our parents bought the original property here 33 years ago.”

But with the growth of the siblings’ families and the need for more space to spend time together as an extended family group, the brother and sister team (along with sister-in-law) made the decision in 2019 to remove the original house and build a holiday home suitable for three generations and two separate families.

TRUSTED AND EFFICIENT Abel Tasman Plumbing and Gas provided a high quality plumbing and gasfitting result for this new build.

The brief was to design a holiday home for the extended family, with private sheltered areas. A large garage was also needed and an internal courtyard to shelter from the coastal winds.

Karsten Architectural Design was called upon to fulfil the brief. The small team, led by Tony and Pip Karsten, designed the concept and produced the working drawings, all with a thorough understanding of planning restrictions in a Coastal Environment Zone.

Tony came up with a design solution that involved three separate buildings, all linked with walkways, to create outdoor sheltered living zones where the family could enjoy the outdoors.

“The flat site adjoining Po¯hara beach with views out to Golden Bay means it is exposed to coastal conditions of wind and sea spray and required robust, durable materials, such as powder-coated aluminium cladding, timber composite planks and fibre-cement soffits to combat the harsh sea-front climate,” says Tony Kasten, director of the busy architectural practice, based in Nelson.

This was all beautifully considered to create the intergenerational home. As one of the homeowners says, “We love the light-filled openness of the kitchen living area. We can maximise the sea views. It’s beautiful.”

The additional functionality of being able to close this area off with a sliding door ensures a cosy space when there is no other family staying. A wide connecting walkway from the family bedroom area to the main room provides a great entranceway, with lots of natural light.

KAD have considered all factors. Being in a high wind zone and high rainfall area meant the design needed to provide multiple covered outdoor zones. Clever configuration of the buildings creates sheltered outdoor spaces that capture most of the warm afternoon sun and shelter from consistent sea breeze and rain.

“Our favourite area is the internal courtyard with the large sliding window opening into the kitchen,” says the homeowner. “It’s a special spot for alfresco family dinners with great interaction with the kitchen. An added bonus is all the family bedrooms get a sea view.”

The homeowners were thrilled to be working with KAD, saying, “Tony really listened to what we wanted as a family and came up with a design that perfectly suited our needs.”

Once the original house was transported to another location, the scene was set for the build to commence. Steve Chamberlain, owner of Golden Bay Builders, was the man for the job. Steve’s knowledge of building has meant he has built more than 70 homes in Golden Bay, including many renovations, extensions and alterations as well as commercial and residential new builds.

“I knew this would be an exceptional build,” says Steve. “And it was such an awesome experience to work on it and fully project manage the build.”

A high priority for Steve (in all his builds) is making the process of building an enjoyable one, so he focuses on building good relationships with his clients and respecting and looking after his staff, so that they can make an extra effort to produce an outstanding result. Couple this approach with his years of expertise, and it’s a winning formula.

BRIGHT AND SPARKY All electrical work was completed by Laser Electrical Golden Bay, known for being a one stop shop for all electrical and telecommunications needs.

“Given the exposure to coastal conditions, we worked with materials that would withstand the test of time," says Steve. “The powder-coated aluminium cladding is manufactured on-site and folded to suit each wall, so the sheet joins are equally positioned and are even, with no corner flashings. Stainless steel sheet fixings are fully concealed, which is great in a high salt spray zone.”

The product comes with a 40-year warranty. Marry that with the pre-finished composite timber cladding system, and you have a design that is stable and will last.

“EuroClad lasts a lot longer than timber and doesn’t need recoating,” says Steve. “Part of the brief was for a low-maintenance, no-fuss bach, so this really footed the bill.”

CUSTOM-BUILT FURNITURE Atkinson's Innovative Interiors cares about the details and provided the precision, handcrafted kitchen, bathroom and laundry cabinetry for easy-care beachside living.

The build wasn’t without the odd challenge. Being built on sand, there was a requirement for over 100 piles to be driven into the ground to support the floor slab.

“That took a while,” says Steve. “But we all pulled together, and there was a great sense of achievement at the end.”

And there is undoubtedly much precision in the build. The soffit linings align with the ply on the living room ceiling, and cement fibreboard wall linings are precisely cut to allow a negative detail around the top and base of the aluminium cladding.

“We also had the odd Covid-related challenge, with the aluminium cladding being held up on a boat for months, so we ended up sourcing some more in Australia to finish off the build,” says Steve.

LATERAL THINKING This Prefa Facade System exterior cladding was skillfully supplied and installed by Iconic Cladding.

The homeowners are delighted with their 380 square metre home and can’t fault the build or the design, saying, “The KAD team were always very approachable, and the builders and their subcontractors were a delight to build with.”

They, too, are particularly impressed with the attention to detail that has resulted in some beautiful features. “The negative detailing in the ply ceilings and wall linings is quite incredible, including around the fire flue. The decks are also a standout with precise cuts to seamlessly fit with the cladding,” says the homeowner.

It has certainly proven to be the perfect family holiday home for these homeowners and the Registered Master Builders House of the Year panel also agreed, awarding the Golden Bay Builders four awards in the recent 2021 awards, including the Craftmanship Award, national Top 100 awards and regional category winner for the Nelson/Marlborough/West Coast region in the $1.5 to $2 million bracket.