Manawatū House

Manawatū House is a new rural home designed to sit within a working farm landscape, with long views to the Ruahine ranges.

Located near Feilding, the house is positioned in response to its open setting, shifting weather, and the everyday rhythms of farm life. From the outset, architecture and landscape design have been developed together, shaping both the home and its setting as a single, integrated response.

The concept takes cues from local farm sheds and woolsheds. A single, robust form gives the house a strong, legible presence on the site, while the plan is organised around views, sun, and prevailing winds. Large openings and carefully placed windows structure create sheltered indoor and outdoor spaces that extend the life of the house into the landscape.

A restrained palette of corrugated metal, timber and concrete is used across both the exterior and interior. The exterior expression is pared back, with crisp detailing lifting the building beyond a purely utilitarian reference. Internally, reused timbers in darker tones are applied selectively, introducing warmth and character without compromising the clarity of the overall form.

The landscape design is structured around a green spine that stretches across the site, connecting the house to its place. This planted corridor organises movement, outlook and outdoor living spaces, while supporting site restoration and long-term ecological resilience. Native planting along the spine has been underway for several seasons, allowing the landscape to establish alongside construction.