The Under Pohutukawa Home With a Must-See Interior

A Unique Challenge in Home Design

Sometimes the building site isn't exactly what the designer or builder of a home was expecting. So when a site presents a challenge like this one, the designers are best to roll with it and see where it can take them. In the case of this inspiring home design, the building site was covered with trees. This might not be an issue in any other case, but in this case, the trees were mature pohutukawa trees that covered 90% of the land. It's because the site was a continuation of a forest that runs along the road and the beach front. So as you can imagine, right away, there wasn't much that they could think of to make this situation easier on themselves so it took a lot of brainstorming to think of a new way. Cutting down all of these mature trees wasn't a viable option either because of their maturity and because it's best to try and keep ecosystems intact whenever possible. So Herbst Architects says that they looked to the trees themselves to give them some ideas for their project. What they came up with is incredible, and it's an inspiration for designers and builders everywhere. They were able to create a home that stands amidst the trees in the perfect area, without having to take out any of the trees or very few of them.

Design Harmony with Nature

The home is separated into the private and social components which gave them a framework to build their idea. The private component of the home includes the bedrooms and garage which are located in two towers that were built on two sawn stumps of trees that had to be removed. To bring some of the characters of the trees to the home, the exterior is done in a black and brown stained wood that is left rough and natural. Then, on the inside of the house, there are spaces that are carved out of fresh wood and cabinetry to match. Then, the towers connect to the common areas seamlessly, and they added a ton of large windows and panes of glass that connect the surrounding forest to the inside of the home. They incorporated some metal into the design as well which makes it feel very industrial and modern, but the wood and natural tones help to balance it all nicely. The dark and light wood continues inside of the home to match the exterior and the trees outside. The roof aligns nicely with the tree canopy with a rough edge to filter light into the home similar to the way the tree's leaves filter light.

Interior Features and Aesthetics

The structure holding up the roof is like the branches and trunks of the trees as well which mirrors the natural setting around the home. On the main level in the common area, there is a lovely seating area with a fireplace and a cozy rug with simple, comfortable chairs and a subdued orange coloured sofa to lounge in. There is also built-in wood storage for the wood to fuel the fireplace, so it's nice to see the space saving features as well. Behind this seating space is the dining area with a large and long table with the kitchen right behind it. The main area is extremely well-lit thanks to all of the windows that extend to the top of the home. Imagine making meals and enjoying them in this space; it would make you feel so connected to the outdoors. Everything in this design was kept so minimal which allows you to appreciate the sleek design of the home. This could definitely be a favourite home for many people who love that new, modern, contemporary home design style.