Designed by Kate Pilot of Kanat Studio in collaboration with Ethan Hunter Architect, Tea House is a secondary dwelling to the rear of the client’s section on Auckland’s Te Atatu Peninsula. Sensitively built for the client’s mother who suffers from dementia, the home needed to one day accommodate a full-time carer before eventually being used by the client themselves.
Conceptually, the environment is tailored to enhance wellbeing and spatial functionality through design principles relating to: familiarity, privacy, clarity, the materiality of architectural elements, and wandering paths. Therefore, creating a comfortable environment which felt familiar to the client’s mother was an important consideration.
The Scoria red colour of the veranda references the landscape of Kuranda, a town in Australia’s rainforest where most of her recent life was spent. For the roof and exterior, “Mist Green was chosen to create a secluded greenhouse in the garden that will eventually be partly overgrown by vines on the trellis end of the building and along the veranda,” says Kate. “It will become part of the gardens and create a full environment within the landscape and back section of suburban Auckland.”
“Research suggests that privacy is the most important part of the environment for older people. If they feel they have privacy and control over their space it helps them feel secure and gives them more autonomy. It is shown that being able to do simple tasks on their own and having some private space contributes to their happiness and extends their independence.”
