Matairangi Sleepout

The Matairangi Sleepout is a compact, thoughtfully crafted cabin situated within the lush garden of a heritage-listed residence. With its 21m² footprint, the sleepout is designed to be recessive, ensuring a discreet presence in the landscape while providing a warm, welcoming and homely feel.

The vision for this project was to create a space that complemented the heritage house without compromising its historical value, or the prominence of the surrounding garden. Drawing from the aesthetics of the main house, the sleepout’s dark exterior and amber interior bring a cosy warmth that subtly echoes the existing home's character. The sleepout’s careful and considered placement into the Southeast corner of the garden ensures that the large Eucalyptus tree remains a focal point of the garden.

 

Materiality and Architectural Details

The Matairangi Sleepout showcases thoughtful materiality where durability and low-maintenance qualities were essential drivers. Clad in traditional charred shou-sugi ban timber weatherboards, the exterior brings a soulful, tactile quality that requires no ongoing staining or painting. This textured, resilient finish complements the structure’s compact and sunken form, allowing it to blend seamlessly with the garden and respect the scale of the heritage home. Inside, keruing plywood lining – commonly used to line shipping containers – brings a cost-effective and warm contrast to the blackened exterior.

 

 

Crafted for Everyday Life

Originally designed for a teenage family member, the Matairangi Sleepout has become a private sanctuary for a now young adult who enjoys passing time in the sun-filled window seat. The sloping roof mirrors the lean-to form at the rear of the house, bringing an intimate human scale to the outdoor space. Adding to the experience, an oversized roof tray sheds rainwater directly into the garden, creating a natural spectacle during downpours. New landscaping thoughtfully preserves a sunny perch at the back of the garden – a tranquil spot to appreciate the evening sunset.

This is a small yet meticulously crafted project, embodying warmth, functionality, and sensitivity to its heritage garden-house context.

 

Collaborators

Focus Engineering, Overton Construction and Hedge Garden Design.