Inspired By Nature

The stunning landscape of Waiheke Island (off Auckland’s east coast) is home to over 7,5 residents. Regenerating bush, an indented coastline, vineyards and olive groves are some of its defining characteristics. When architect Dave Strachan was enlisted to design Erin and Gary Clatworthy’s home on Owhanake Bay, he applied his signature style of using surrounding nature as design muse. “I like to think the moves we make are driven by that particular place, by that particular landform and climate. These moves are driven by what’s around you. Just open you eyes, feel the breeze, watch the light dancing off the water—that’s what informs. Hopefully when you do that, you can then say ‘yes this building has a sense of place,’ it feels like it belongs,” Strachan said in Habitus magazine. The end result for the Clatworthy’s is a gorgeous home that highlights the natural beauty of New Zealand and the coast with environmental aspects—solar panels for heat and a system for catching rainwater. With meticulous environmental planning and ingenuity, the home can help advance forest regeneration by decades, leaving a sustainable-living legacy for generations to come.