Peka Peka Beach House
Set back from the foredunes at Peka Peka on the Kāpiti Coast, this beach house is conceived as a year round retreat from Wellington and a gathering place for extended family. Slightly elevated above the shifting sand, the site looks west to Kāpiti Island and sits fully exposed to the persistent sea breeze. The brief called for a coastal home that felt timeless and enduring, able to engage with its landscape while offering genuine shelter from the wind.
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Built: 2023
Builder: Agility Builders
Interiors: First Light & Tate Design
Images: David Hensel PhotographyProject Description
The plan forms a simple reverse C, shaping a protected courtyard that opens to the southwest to draw in evening light and views. The building itself acts as a buffer to the elements. In strong northwest winds, exposed edges can be closed down while the courtyard remains calm and usable. In settled weather, large sliding doors pull back and the house opens completely, operating as a pavilion poised between sea and land.
The rolling dune topography informed a split level response, allowing the house to step with the ground and naturally separate living and sleeping zones. An open kitchen, dining and living space anchors the courtyard and supports long lunches and shared evenings, while a master suite, guest room and bunkroom provide generous accommodation for family and friends.
Material choices are grounded in the coastal setting. Low in profile and deliberately robust, the house pairs white washed Canterbury brick with dark timber, echoing the tones of sand and driftwood while standing up to harsh conditions. Inside, curved walls, concealed doors and brick screening elements temper light and create privacy, shaping interiors that feel calm, sheltered and richly textured.
The result is a resilient coastal home that sits quietly within the dunescape, designed to endure and to strengthen the connection between people, place and landscape.
