The wish: Large, adventure-loving family seeks statement home for section bordering Lake Taupō. The plan: Design inspired by a quintessential Kiwi campground with a shared pavilion, utility and sleep quarters, and courtyard. The result: Beautiful 295sqm house with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, sheltered outdoor living with decking that takes in glorious views of lake and landscape. The house is one of understated elegance, at one with its environment, rather than competing with it. Structural precast concrete forms the shell, but also interior features that contrast with panelled ceilings, timber walls and bespoke features.

And that large family? There might be four bedrooms, but you’ll find plenty more beds. Timber bunks — one a three-stacker — have been ingeniously built into the rooms. The courtyard acts as a transition point between living and sleeping quarters, as well as a place to congregate and relax. It also draws visitors through the entry and into the living space. Interesting angles are a hallmark of the house, a by-product of a floorplan designed to maximise the rhomboid-shaped section. The building mimics the shape and slope of the site. Not always easy for the builders, but everywhere you look there are examples of detail and craftsmanship. You can see it in the clever storage, sleeping spaces and seating. Who wouldn’t want to camp here?