Houzz Tour: Waipahi Fishing Cabin
A small but perfectly formed cabin creates a year-round country haven
Waipahi village, a dot with a community hall some five minutes’ drive from country-and-western capital of New Zealand, Gore, is so tiny that it doesn’t rate its own population count. But it is famous in NZ’s deep south as the home of the oldest fishing competition in the nation, the Waipahi Gold Cup, and some of the best brown trout fishing on the Waipahi River.
When two nearly-retired professors from Otago University, one of whom is an enthusiastic fly fisher, found a deconsecrated church on the edge of town a few years ago, they snapped it up for weekend accommodation for themselves and friends. By 2013, they were ready to create a bit more privacy, as well as extra room for a garage and a woodworking shop. They commissioned architectural designer Nathan Taylor of Taylored Spaces to build them a standalone cabin.
When two nearly-retired professors from Otago University, one of whom is an enthusiastic fly fisher, found a deconsecrated church on the edge of town a few years ago, they snapped it up for weekend accommodation for themselves and friends. By 2013, they were ready to create a bit more privacy, as well as extra room for a garage and a woodworking shop. They commissioned architectural designer Nathan Taylor of Taylored Spaces to build them a standalone cabin.
Architectural designer Nathan Taylor relishes this sort of project, believing that a well-thought-out space can produce a fantastic result in a reduced footprint. This was the tiniest project he’s ever done but he is now using the experience to design a 130-square metre house for a family. The cabin is positioned at an angle from the church for maximum solar gain, repeating the gable of the church but with crisp, modern glass.
Sanderson was particular about creating as thermally efficient an envelope as they could, and the couple wanted an environmentally-friendly building too. Temperatures range from winter lows of -6 degrees to summer peaks of 43 degrees. The couple has been delighted to arrive from their 90-minute drive from Dunedin on a -3 degree evening, to find the inside temperature a comfortable 17 degrees – without any heating.
The single garage on the far right of the cabin gives internal access to Sanderson’s woodworking workshop, with a tiny kitchenette. The bedroom and bathroom are tucked off the hallway, with plenty of storage for coats and fishing gear (there is also loft storage above), leading to the showpiece of the cabin, a striking gable-roofed living room.
Taylor’s deceptively simple design has a fully-glazed gable end on the north-facing living area, with a pitched ceiling to maximise sun and outlook. The private bedroom (pushed out to one side on the left of the photo) has deliberately smaller windows to frame rural views.
There was some negotiation with the client to arrive at the black and white colour scheme: the clients had wanted to repeat the church shades of green and yellow, Taylor had originally proposed an all-black scheme, and this crisp scheme was the happy middle. Next summer the couple will begin work on recladding the 1932 church with weatherboard and adding more insulation.
There was some negotiation with the client to arrive at the black and white colour scheme: the clients had wanted to repeat the church shades of green and yellow, Taylor had originally proposed an all-black scheme, and this crisp scheme was the happy middle. Next summer the couple will begin work on recladding the 1932 church with weatherboard and adding more insulation.
Walls are built from Supercrete autoclaved aerated concrete block, which has excellent thermal and acoustic properties. Taylor added performance ceiling insulation, thermally broken aluminium and high-specification glazing for the windows, creating a thermal envelope that contains the naturally stored heat. This summer, Sanderson is building a barbecue, a smoker for his trout catches, and even a pizza oven.
Even in the depths of winter, the homeowners love how the living room is open to the views. Taylor designed the windows to create a pleasing rhythm – the band of clerestories meets the roof angle exactly – as well as remain practical (they are reachable to open for summer ventilation). Vaulted ceilings and pared-back details create the impression of a much bigger room. The client and architect were delighted by the quality of work by the builder – in such a tiny space there was no place to hide poor detailing.
The passage to the right of the fireplace leads to the bedroom and an internal bathroom, with the workshop and garage beyond. There is a small kitchenette off the workshop for when the couple want to keep to themselves. A skylight provides natural light and ventilation, and there is loft storage above the garage for holiday toys.
In winter, the cabin is heated by a clean-burning and efficient Pyroclassic fire. Connected to a radiator system, it can quickly heat the house when the couple arrives. Local farms supply the wood, so the house is cheap to warm up.
The bedroom is tucked into a cosier space, with a lowered ceiling and thoughtfully placed window that frames the last of the summer sun and farmland views. When they are not fishing, the couple can run into Gore for its magnificent art gallery, cafes and restaurants, or it’s an easy 90-minute drive to the bustle of Queenstown.
A skylight maximises natural light in the bathroom, with a corner shower saving on space.
A skylight maximises natural light in the bathroom, with a corner shower saving on space.
TELL US
What would your dream retreat look like? Share your ideas in the Comments.
What would your dream retreat look like? Share your ideas in the Comments.
Who lives here: Professors Gordon Sanderson and Suzanne Renner
Location: Waipahi, New Zealand
Year built: 2015
Size: 98 square metres; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
Architectural designer: Nathan Taylor, Taylored Spaces
Structural engineer: Bruce Chisholm, Hanlon and Partners
Builder: Peter Cooper, Jones and Cooper Builders
The church is on a prominent site on the main road into Gore, so even though it was small, the building had to sit well on the rural church grounds. There are expansive views to neighbouring farmland, and the owners love that their only neighbours are cows and sheep. They appreciate that the church yard doesn’t need the work of a big property, thus leaving more time for fishing.
The couple wanted the small cabin to be a warm and sunny oasis for them, leaving the church to cater for guests independently. They also specified that it be low maintenance and energy efficient, as they planned to use the cabin year round.
Photos by Graham Warman Photography