It’s hard not to be struck by the spectacular lines and location of this black clad architectural beauty known as the ‘Skylark cabin’.
The cabin was designed by Barry Connor Design and is located in the sweeping tussock grass foothills beneath the Ben Ohau range in southern New Zealand.
The owners wanted their tiny home as a place to retreat and relax with view lines to watch the sunlight and shadows of the Ben Ohau range, the night sky and the skylark birds frolicking nearby.
“The underlying form is of two offset open plan spaces…The angle of the offset was derived from plotting specific views from certain activities; lying in bed, washing the dishes, having a shower, sitting, standing.” – Barry Connor, Architect
Sustainability Features
- Small 49 sqm footprint (lower energy use)
- Passive solar design
- Immersion into the landscape
- Minimal intrusion on the landscape
- Certified sustainably sourced timber
The central idea behind the design was that of a bird’s nest, manifested in the exterior with black stained rough sawn larch timber cladding, designed to weather over time and further blend into its surroundings.
Burnt orange window frames add a welcome pop to the pared back exterior and were located to perfectly frame the mountain views and tussock grass fields. The circular skylight above the master bed forms a porthole to the Mackenzie Aoraki Dark Sky Reserve at night and the vast hazy skies during the day.
Light beech plywood interiors blur into the tussock grasslands outside to give the feeling of being nestled into the landscape.
My favourite three aspects of the design are the almost seamless immersion into the stunning landscape, the striking geometry of the exterior ‘nest’ punctuated by the orange window frames and thirdly, the bathtub with a view, secluded and private while also completely open to the surrounding landscape.
