Emerging from the Te Ārai dunes as two rammed earth pavilions offset to reconcile sun path and sea view, the Double Courtyard House responds to its landscape by, literally, being made from it.
This home is full of apparent contradictions: taut, crisp silhouette against surfaces abraded by loose-rammed earth, sand-blasted concrete and bead-blasted steel; sheltered courtyards that remain in continuous dialogue with the coastal expanse beyond.
This is a residence of stillness and quiet beauty, where custom pulls, furniture, and screens extend a tactile conviction into every corner of the interior. It takes a common enough architectural type and adds moments of magic and a sensibility that understands barefoot living with luxury aspirations.
Double Courtyard House by Roberts Gray Architects received Highly Commended in the Residential Category of the Interior of the Year Awards 2026.
Images Sam Hartnett
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