Back Country House Inspired By Traditional New Zealand Huts

David Maurice of LTD architectural has completed Back Country House, a two-storey residence in New Zealand that seeks to establish a close connection with its rural surroundings. The house is a reinterpretation of the country’s backcountry huts — simple shelters found in the wilderness that can be inhabited by the general public.

The project consists of a single volume at ground level for lounging, cooking, and eating, which spills out onto a terrace that serves as an extension of the home’s living quarters. An outdoor fireplace ensures that the veranda can be used throughout the year, while two tubs sunken into the deck allow residents to bathe outdoors. When not needed, the tubs can be covered with a simple wooden table to dine outdoors or just draw something with kids. The home is clad with weathered wood on the outside, and this wood is local-sourced.

Inside, there’s a living room with a hearth, a hanging chair, some comfortable furniture and musical instruments. Upstairs, beneath the sloping roof, the master bedroom features a long work desk that allows the space to function as an office. What’s interesting, the bed is suspended to make it more relaxing, and the whole bedroom is centered around the views, and skylights over the bed fill the space with light. Meanwhile, an adjoining annex at ground level contains additional bedrooms and service areas, and you can see a firewood storage outside the annex. The inner decor is very simple: white walls and lots of light-colored natural wood, what can be better for a countryside home? The interiors are strongly connected with outdoors, and every space is centered around the views.