Perfect for picking

Andrew McKenzie’s mid-orchard home is featured in this month’s Dwell magazine as the perfect example of a marriage between economy, sustainability and design. The house earned Architects Cecile Bonnifait and William Giesen a regional award from the New Zealand Institute of Architects, for what was a called a ‘disarmingly simple’ form and execution. “This very direct interpretation of the bachelor pad proves that architecture is not dictated by budget,” said judges’ convener Ezra Kelly. “A lot of New Zealand architecture is these colonial houses people plonked in without any thought,” says Giesen. “For us, we want it to look good and we want it to be a contemporary building, but if its not a sustainable piece of architecture, well, its just a fashion statement really, isn’t it?”