Located in the Ruapehu Downs subdivision in Horopito, National Park, the site has unobstructed access to Mount Ruapehu and the Tukino Slopes.

This house, designed as an adventure outpost for a small family with a love for the outdoors and all the region has to offer, takes inspiration from New Zealand's iconic DOC huts—especially Mueller Hut, Brewster, and French Ridge huts in the South Island.

The spatial program is pragmatic. It aims to provide shelter from the elements, basic living facilities, and maximum visual engagement with the mountain view.

The main living area offers the essentials: cooking, eating, seating spaces, and a fireplace. A breezeway dissects the plan, separating the main living area from the bunk room. It also extends the possibilities of inhabiting space, offering outdoor living potential, protected from the elements.

The simple gable roof, the entrance porch and a translucent sliding door nod to the rural vernacular structures prevalent in the region and throughout the backcountry. Colorsteel Scoria, corrugated metal cladding, references those emblematic New Zealand mountain huts, reinforcing the building's presence in the landscape and fitting comfortably within its setting.

Photography: Arkhe
Build: JFS Construction

Completed in 2021.

Horopito, National Park.