Architects Lance and Nicola Herbst have created a distinctive style of holiday home that enhances our coastal landscapes.
Herbst Architects’ engagement with the Kiwi bach and, as importantly, with what the bach represents, has endured for more than 20 years.
Over that period, the Auckland-based practice has won more than
For much of its 20th-century existence, says Walsh, the New Zealand holiday house – the “bach” – was basic.
At best, he says, it was carpenter-constructed but often was owner-built from materials that were scavenged or scrounged, and altered or extended when there was some money to spare.
“The bach was a retreat. Sunrise, sunset, high tide, low tide – that was the rhythm of bach days.
“Standards could slip. The crockery was cracked, the furniture mismatched, thread-bare shorts were everyday wear, and shoes and socks were gross contraventions of an unwritten clothing code.”
That’s the informal spirit that Lance and Nicola Herbst have tried to preserve in their holiday houses, even as those houses have become larger and more sophisticated.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.It is also most important to the Herbsts that their houses connect with their surroundings – that they rise to the occasion of their extraordinary situation.
Walsh says that while Herbst Architects’ work has a strong cultural resonance in New Zealand, its appeal is universal.
The Herbsts design beautiful buildings in beautiful places. More than that, they are really dedicated to the art and craft of architecture.
Their attention to detail is painstaking and they work hard to get the most out of every project. Elegance doesn’t come easy, but Herbst Architects make it seem entirely natural.
This is an extract from Herbst: Architecture in context by John Walsh, $75 RRP (Massey University Press).
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.More on architecture and craft
From intimate tours to the houses with real effect.
Quick Tour: A Family Focused House In Northland With Breathtaking Views. This home for one by the sea makes the most of its views and its site, ready to welcome extended family.
For Her Next Eco-Design, Kowtow’s Gosia Piatek Looks To Home With Bento Cabins. What links her foray into architecture and her fashion label? Designer style that treads lightly on the planet.
This Clifftop House On Dunedin’s North Coast Is Designed To Keep The Elements At Bay. This robust clifftop home keeps the elements at bay.
Architects On The New Zealand Houses That Changed Their Lives. Johanna Thornton asks local architects about exemplary houses they didn’t design, but maybe wish they did.
